What happened to viral 'sad cat' Fishtopher? Complete story explained as his 'happy' pictures after adoption surface

Fishtopher, a five-year-old mix of domestic shorthair and Bengal cat, gained attention when his adoption advertisement described him as "sad and depressed." Rescued as a stray, he ended up at the Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood, New Jersey. A photo of him looking gloomy and dejected quickly spread across the internet, drawing a lot of interest.

The listing described a calm and friendly animal who liked having company during meals and appreciated small joys like chin rubs. While he was said to be relaxed and loving, many felt sympathy for how he seemed to feel at the shelter. This sparked massive interest online, leading to hundreds of people asking about adopting him. On the adoption day, a crowd gathered outside the shelter, all hoping to meet the cat whose face had touched so many hearts on the internet.

today is Fishtopher's "birthday"! A year ago today, a round tabby boy was rescued by @homewardboundnj . he was scared, sick, and sad. he is no longer any of those things now❤️‍🩹 we consider his rescue intake date the start of his new, happier life 💙🐟🥰 pic.twitter.com/dYQ5APCOXT

— Fishtopher and Friends (@mrfishtopher) October 20, 2023

Fishtopher’s journey from shelter cat to social media star

Baltimore locals Laura Folts and Tanner Callahan adopted Fishtopher and later set up social media pages to share his life after adoption. They use these accounts not just to show how he’s doing but also to help bring attention to cats looking for homes.
Their posts reveal they didn’t expect the huge amount of interest Fishtopher would get. Right after taking him home, messages and notifications started pouring in from people asking for updates and photos.

Since settling into his new house, Fishtopher seems much happier and more lively in the pictures and videos shared online. His social media account now shows him playing and relaxing, a big difference from the sad shelter photo that made him famous.

"I expected people to be like 'oh yay fish got adopted!' and move on but they fell in love just as hard as we did," Fishtopher's new owners tweeted. "About 20 minutes into the car ride my phone started blowing up with notifications and requests for more pictures and updates!"

"I'm still in shock when i see the follower counts rising and we had no desire for this kind of attention when we went to adopt him," they continued, "so we're trying to do good by using this giant audience to find other kitties homes and give people the updates they keep asking for."

The adopters who run his account still see lots of people following and interacting. Instead of shining a light on Fishtopher, they use the page to encourage others to adopt pets in need. They post retweets, shares, and profiles of other cats who, like Fishtopher once was, are searching for a fresh start.