A 9-year-old cat reached an all-time low after her owner died, and her carers at an animal shelter were worried she would not find a forever home.

Katniss was taken in by the Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter in Forked River, New Jersey, in June 2023 after her owner died.

Katniss was initially very shutdown when she arrived. She took the loss of her owner very hard and stopped eating and drinking.

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"She just kept to herself when she arrived and wanted to hide away from the world. We can't say we blame her. Imagine going from a loving, peaceful home to an unfamiliar place where you don't know a soul?" the shelter shared on Facebook in a post that garnered 1,500 likes. "The depression took a real toll on her health too, and Katniss wasn't eating well and she was declining."

"Our staff pulled out all the stops and did all they could to boost her spirits and eventually, Katniss began looking toward the future and putting her past behind her," the post said.

When she arrived at the shelter, Katniss wasn't eating or drinking. She became dehydrated and underweight, so the shelter provided medical assistance and a prescription diet. They also moved her to a special area of the facility called Kitty City so she could have more space.

The elder cat was taken in by a foster family but was not engaging well with her carer and returned to the shelter.

The poor kitty was later diagnosed with high blood pressure and kidney disease, which made it more difficult to find her a forever home.

She became more sociable and relaxed once she was on the right mediation and diet.

Katniss was finally picked by an adopter on April 17 and is now called Ceci.

"She is doing great in her new home. She enjoys watching the deer and birds outside and getting attention from her new family, and her health is much better as well. She is now 9 years old," the shelter told Newsweek.

The cat's touching story melted commenters' hearts.

Donna Zalepa said, "So happy and how pleased and thankful the previous owner would be to know she has an awesome home."

"What a great story. I am so happy. Wishing you a wonderful life sweetheart," Denise Volz Amoroso wrote.

"Great story, happy new life Ceci," Karen Kenny de Biase commented.

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