Kitten Returned After Just 3 Hours—Reason Leaves Internet in Tears

An adorable white-and-patchy kitten with striking blue eyes has captured hearts across the internet after being returned to her original rescuer for a reason that can only be described as heartbreaking.

On September 15, a slideshow of photos of the tiny kitten quickly went viral on Reddit, gathering 20,000 upvotes in less than 24 hours.

The pictures show the wide-eyed feline in a series of irresistible poses—lying on her back exposing her soft belly, sitting upright with her bright blue eyes gleaming, and playfully posing for the camera.

The post was titled: “Returned for not being cuddly enough,” and it has struck a chord online.

Three Hours to Prove Herself

The original poster, who goes by u/Winter_Soft_7618, explained the surprising reason behind the kitten’s return.

“I tried to re-home kittens I was given, this kitty is actually a snuggle bug and falls asleep on me, she just didn’t adjust in 3 HOURS to her new home so they wanted to return her. They did, I decided she’s mine now forever, their loss!” she wrote.

She added that attempts to rehome the kitten’s siblings had also fallen through, humorously confessing: “Now I have 11 cats but can’t complain, I love them all.”

In the comments, she told one user that the kitten didn’t want to be held and hissed at the new owner’s dog.

“I think she [the adopter] wanted a lap cat 24/7. That’s not a kitten!!” she told one user, adding that kittens scratch and that’s just part of being a cat mom.

The 3-3-3 Rule

One Reddit user highlighted the “3 days 3 weeks 3 months” protocol when taking pets home.

The 3-3-3 rule offers a simple framework to help a rescue animal adjust to its new home. It recommends giving the animal the first three days to settle into unfamiliar surroundings, the next three weeks to focus on training and building a bond, and the first three months for ongoing socialization and continued training.

The original poster said she had told the adopter about the rule and was “so mad” when they didn’t give the kitten even three days to decompress.

“I’m definitely just [going to] keep her because I was so stressed after having her lined up to go for like 6 weeks and then it got ruined in 3 hours,” she told one user.

Internet Rallies Behind the Kitten

Support poured in from fellow Redditors who criticized the would-be adopters.

“Truly your gain and their loss. Some people shouldn’t have pets. They didn’t deserve her,” one user commented.

The rescuer agreed, responding: “Apparently she didn’t wanna be held or Petted when she got to a new home (normal), anyways now I get to give her all the kisses and snuggles she wants.”

Another said: “Some people expect instant love from a cat like it’s a golden retriever, not realizing it takes time for them to feel comfortable and safe.”

“Wow. Some people. Cats are a gift. They didn’t deserve her,” said a third user.

Newsweek reached out to u/Winter_Soft_7618 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

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