Hearts Break As Old Cat With Dementia Turns Up To House He Used To Live At

An old ginger cat with dementia called Fred is breaking hearts online after turning up at the house he used to live at.

Marcella, from British Columbia, Canada was confused when she opened her front door to find the feline meowing outside. She shared a clip of their exchange to her TikTok page, @dingleberry_pie, where it has amassed more than 270,000 hits since being shared last week.

The clip was captioned "if he comes back, I know where he lives now & can bring him home," as Marcella offers the cat food in a soothing tone.

Cats, as well as dogs, can get dementia, with pet food website, Purina, confirming it is "similar to the human version."

Purina stated the condition, officially known as feline cognitive dysfunction, "refers to a gradual decline in cognitive abilities caused by aging-related changes in the brain.

"Cat dementia will usually have a slow onset, with changes in memory or spatial abilities worsening over time."

Initial symptoms include disorientation, different sleep patterns, change in appetite and toilet training issues as well as "unusual vocalizations."

There's no cure, although: "In some cases, it is also possible to slow down the progression of the illness."

Speaking to Newsweek, Marcella revealed how she discovered Fred's condition, and confirmed he was reunited with his owners.

She explained Fred lived a block and a half away and she'd previously seen him around the neighborhood a few times.

"I never knew his name but would see him in his yard and he'd always come running over for pets.

"It had been many months since I had seen him outside, however, until he showed up on my doorstep!" she added.

Marcella said initially she "wasn't sure" if it was the same ginger cat she knew, adding: "I had no idea why he was so adamant on barging straight into my house.

"I couldn't just let him in, unfortunately, because I didn't want him to get scared away by our dog.

"So I brought him out some food and water, then immediately started checking on all the local lost and found pets pages."

But around 20 minutes later she saw some people who appeared to be searching for something, and she put two and two together.

"I asked if they happen to be looking for an orange cat. If so, he's right here on the porch," she added.

His owners explained why Fred was keen to get into Marcella's house, saying: "They were so relieved and as they came to scoop him up, they explained to me that his name is Fred, he has dementia, is on medication that makes him confused, and he used to live in my house."

Due to his condition his owners keep him inside now, but he'd managed to get out as they were currently renovating and a door had been left open by mistake.

Marcella confirmed she'd not had any more visits from Fred, but said: "I often wonder about him. He's always been such a sweet little guy, and I miss seeing him on my walks home. But I'm glad to know his humans care for him so well.

"He's always been quite the chatterbox and very friendly. Rubbing up & giving head bonks. I used to look forward to passing by his place in the hopes to see him again.

"He would always make my day. I'm a little sad to know I won't be seeing him out much any more, but relieved to know his family loves him so much and keep him safe."

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She added if he does turn up at her door again, at least she knows who he belongs to, saying: "I'm also so tickled that I've helped the old guy find his fifteen minutes of fame."

Numerous people commented on the video with Josh admitting: "I didn't know cats got dementia."

Ellie said: "Awe nooo. He just wants to know why he can't come inside he still thinks he lives there. My day is ruined."

Reece replied: "You can literally hear the confusion and anxiety in his voice!! Thanks for taking him in, until his humans collected him."

And Casey Kannibal added: "This makes my heart hurt."