A Stray Cat That Was Acting Funny Tests Positive For A Staggering Condition

Lots of cats find themselves in Bruce's situation. Records from 2018 indicated that nearly 60 million felines didn’t have a home in the U.S., according to the Wildlife Removal website. That’s a staggering figure, right? You don't have to love animals to be heartbroken by it, either — especially if you met Bruce.

In Bruce’s case, he’d been a stray for a large portion of his life. The tabby was roughly six years old when Minnesota’s Animal Humane Society welcomed him through their doors. But the poor kitty wasn’t in the best of shape at that time due to his lengthy spell in the wild.

Bruce had a scarred eye and damaged teeth upon his arrival, reported the website Love Meow. One of his ears wasn’t looking too great, either. The description alone is choking us up! And although the cat received the treatment he needed at the shelter, there was another issue bubbling away in the background.

Yes, Bruce was suffering from another serious medical condition alongside his other ailments, one that would've turned most cats into total sourpusses. Regardless of the pain Bruce was in, however, he was incredibly affectionate towards those working at the facility. Not all strays are like that when they’re rescued.

Love Meow reported that Bruce adored hugs, because they drew out a satisfied, loving purr. Aww! How cute is that? And the folks at the American Humane Society gave the tabby his eye-catching name ahead of an important decision. The time had come, you see, to find him a family.

Around 2.1 million shelter felines find new homes every 12 months, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ website. That’s a lot of cats! So it’s fair to say that Bruce had plenty of competition when it came to finding him a new family. 

Yet Bruce had an ace up his furry sleeve – his loving nature. The tabby purred like mad when people would get close to his enclosure at the facility, reported Love Meow. It seemed that he was more than ready to start a new chapter in his life away from the streets.

The workers at the American Humane Society tried to do their part as well, taking to social media to gush about the cat's sweet nature. A post on the facility’s Facebook page read, “Bruce is the sweetest and most affectionate boy around. All cheeks and love, he will brighten every day you spend with him.”

Unfortunately, though, Bruce's rough appearance proved to be a stumbling block to adoption. Regardless of how friendly he was around visitors at the shelter, none of them took a chance on him. Yet he did catch someone’s eye thanks to the shelter’s social media posts. The person in question was Sandra Daniloff.

And fittingly, Daniloff first spotted Bruce’s photograph on International Cat Day. It’s August 8 if you want to mark it down in your calendar! Anyway, she looked back on her initial reaction while speaking to Love Meow in September 2019. She said, “When I saw his picture, it just spoke to my heart.”

So what happened next? Well, Daniloff made her way to the shelter to see Bruce in the flesh. But that trip proved to be a lot harder on her than you might think. She revealed more when she spoke to Good Morning America in June 2021. We hope you’ve got some tissues ready.

Daniloff recalled, “Looking at [Bruce] is just like, you can tell he had been through a lot. And it looked a little bit like he had given up on life in a way. I was like, ‘Why am I putting myself through this?’ Because he looked even sadder in real life, especially at the time.”

“I could only stay there for a couple of minutes because I got so sad,” Daniloff continued. “I almost started crying. I’m like, ‘No, what’s the point of this since I can’t get him anyways?’” Yep, even though Bruce had caught her attention, the landlord for her home had a strict rule in place that stated no animals were allowed.

Yet Daniloff continued to get online updates on Bruce’s status after that. She was desperate for someone to take him, given that she couldn’t adopt the adorable tabby herself. Plus the Minnesota resident struggled to stay away from the shelter as well. Something tells us her new friend stole her heart!

Daniloff told Good Morning America, “I went back to [the shelter] after the first time. For some reason, I couldn’t let [Bruce] go.” And yet the tabby cat’s health was starting to deteriorate. Bruce developed an upper respiratory infection during that time, according to Love Meow. 

Those were tough times for all concerned, yet Daniloff came up with a plan. As Bruce continued to get ill, she decided to step up in a major way. So what did she do? Well, the feline’s new pal outlined her aims while chatting with Good Morning America.

Daniloff revealed, “I told myself that if he hasn’t got adopted by a set date, I’m going to ask my landlord if I can get him. I sent them a text, actually, with a picture of Bruce.” The aforementioned message explained his health situation as well, which eventually led to a response.

Yes, despite the landlord’s “no pets” rule, they opted to overlook it on this occasion, allowing Daniloff to adopt Bruce. What a lovely gesture! But as happy as that answer no doubt made her, she was well aware that taking him in would come with its challenges.

“Part of me was like, ‘What am I getting myself into?’” Daniloff told Good Morning America. “I knew [Bruce] would need a lot of medical care. But then, when I went to visit him the next day, and I looked into his eyes, I was just so happy that I could get him out of [the shelter].”

So what was actually wrong with Bruce? Aside from the respiratory infection he picked up at the facility, of course. Well, the lovable puss was carrying something called Feline immunodeficiency virus when he arrived at the Animal Humane Society. It isn’t something we'd wish on any cat. 

The condition, which is also known as cat FIV, attacks the animal’s immune system, leaving them at risk of picking up other illnesses. They also find it tougher to overcome those conditions compared to healthier felines. In Bruce’s case, he was dealing with eye and ear infections when Daniloff adopted him, as well as a cold. Poor fella!

 As for how cats get FIV, it’s usually transmitted via “a deep bite” from afflicted felines, according to WebMD. Given Bruce’s appearance when he first arrived at the shelter in Minnesota, we wouldn’t be shocked if that had happened to him. The scars on his face were pretty telling: he’d probably been scrapping with other cats!

And WebMD stated that lots of cats with FIV eventually get blood disease or cancer due to the condition. The website furthermore cited a report claiming affected felines had a life expectancy of roughly five years from the point they’re diagnosed. Yet that isn’t set in stone – the forecast can be a lot brighter depending on the cat-patient.

Now, we know what you’re thinking – what does that mean for Bruce? How was his health after Daniloff brought him home back in 2019? Well, she opened up to Good Morning America about the feline’s initial reaction to his new surroundings. It’s fair to say that he was in awe of his new home — perhaps even intimidated.

Bruce's early days in Daniloff’s apartment were a bit rocky, to say the least. Though he made himself at home fairly quickly, all he'd ever really known was the street. How did he react to a new domesticated environment over time? Well, his owner recalled a heartwarming moment while talking to Love Meow.

“[Bruce] came into the bathroom when I was showering one day,” Daniloff informed the website. “And [he] looked at me and started meowing as if he was trying to call for help to rescue me from the water.” He’s shown off his protective nature in other ways, too.

During her chat with Good Morning America, Daniloff said, “Wherever I am, [Bruce] will always be close to me. I can’t walk into the bedroom or the kitchen, or anywhere really, without him wanting to follow me.” Bruce sounds like a great companion to have around the house, though it wasn't all smooth sailing.

Bruce showed a fair bit of wariness around certain objects in Daniloff’s apartment at first. That shouldn’t be too surprising, though. We can’t forget that this little fella had lived a large chunk of his life on the streets. In fact, according to Daniloff, he seemed to be in awe of his comfy new surroundings!

Daniloff said, “It was like [Bruce] realized straight away that he was home. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier cat before. He was purring and purring. He walked around the apartment for maybe ten or 15 seconds, and after that it was just like, ‘Yep. This is where I live now.’ He was so happy.” Miraculously, his newfound happiness also led to newfound healthiness.

You can see his physical improvement simply by looking at him. Bruce certainly looks like a completely different cat today. In the years following his adoption, the adorable puss has undergone a truly wonderful transformation, appearing a lot healthier than before. Sure, he still has FIV, but his owner had this to say about it to BoredPanda.

“Right now, I can’t notice [Bruce’s] disease at all,” Daniloff noted. “I’m just making sure I’m doing what I can to keep him happy and healthy. We’ve had our ups and downs. He was very sick for a while and we had to go to the vet all the time. [But] luckily, he was able to fight off all the infections.”

That’s great to hear, right? Talk about overcoming difficult obstacles. Bruce is one resilient cat! Going back to his remarkable transformation, Daniloff was at a loss for words. We don’t blame her. It really is like night and day compared to his stint at the Animal Humane Society. His newfound appearance is something no one saw coming.

Daniloff told Good Morning America, “I’m so surprised that [Bruce’s] appearance has changed so much. I didn’t expect that. So, it’s weird to now go back and look at the photos of what he looked like back then.” Speaking of pictures, that brings us onto Bruce’s Instagram account. That’s not a typo!

Yes, Daniloff created the social media page for her pet cat after she adopted him in 2019. Since then, she’s shared hundreds of images of Bruce around her home, capturing their journey together as pals. And it’s safe to say those posts have stolen the hearts of Instagram users everywhere, too — just check out their follower count.

At the time of writing, Bruce’s page had around 130,000 followers. No joke! Most of us can only dream about hitting a figure like that. Yet the little guy deserves all the attention and adulation that comes his way thanks to the strides he’s made with Daniloff by his side. As Daniloff explained, it was a very long road to recovery...

Alongside a distrust of prone hairdryers, Daniloff told Good Morning America, “[Bruce] was a little bit scared of my toothbrush at first. But now, that’s something he’s gotten used to. He’s just such a character!” We’d say that’s a pretty accurate assessment. At least Bruce has the chance to explore the world a bit more; not every shelter pet is so lucky, something Daniloff spoke passionately about.

Daniloff made an emotional point at the end of her interview with Good Morning America. It harkened back to the time when Bruce was at the Animal Humane Society and couldn’t find anyone to adopt him. In her opinion, people should be more open to taking the perceived risks that come with cats like him.

Daniloff added, “It’s so worth getting a cat that’s been at the shelter for a long time, one that’s older, or maybe has special needs. Yes, they will probably demand more from you...But in the end, it’s always worth it because they give you so much in return.”