Adopters Keep Skipping Over This Shelter Cat Because He's 'Too Affectionate' — He Just Needs a Home

For plenty of people who share their lives with cats, having a pet that craves constant closeness sounds like a dream rather than a drawback. Coming home to a warm, purring companion after a tough day has a way of melting stress away, and the feel of a gentle nuzzle or a rough tongue can instantly lift your mood.

Garfunkel, a large black cat at a Chicago shelter, has won the heart of shelter employee @frangrzesik like no other feline she has encountered. He is incredibly loving and adores being held, yet time and again, potential adopters have walked past his cage. Not long ago, someone even decided against taking him home because he was “too affectionate,” a rejection that left everyone who knows him feeling crushed.

There's no denying what a sweet soul Garfunkel is—he has Fran and hundreds of thousands of online viewers completely charmed. The only thing missing now is the right family to call his own.

Good news arrived after Fran posted a video of this cuddle bug: several adoption applications came in that look promising. While he appears to be on his way to a forever home, his story has moved others to visit their local shelters in search of their own clingy companion.

Plenty of Chicago residents would be happy to welcome a shelter cat like Garfunkel into their lives, which goes to show that no cat can be too loving. As @sammylynn_1215 puts it, “Anyone who says a cat is ‘too affectionate’ isn’t a real cat person. We crazy cat people want all the snuggles.”

Why Black Cats Wait Longer in Shelters

Given how much affection this cat has attracted, why is he still without a home? Plain bad luck has certainly been a factor, but his fur color may also be working against him. Black animals have historically faced much longer waits before being adopted, even though the color of a cat's coat says nothing about its temperament.

On top of that, black cats have long been linked in folklore to witchcraft, magic, and misfortune, leading some superstitious individuals to keep their distance. Even so, Fran and her followers would surely agree: whoever ends up adopting a cat as devoted as Garfunkel will be the most fortunate pet parent around.