A mature cat that arrived at a Pasadena shelter in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire has been adopted permanently, just days after being returned by a previous adopter for being overly “needy.”

Art is a gray tabby that is estimated to be about 7 years old, officials from Pasadena Humane said.

The cat entered the shelter during a critical period when Pasadena Humane undertook the monumental challenge of sheltering as many displaced animals as possible. This was a time when homes were reduced to ashes, and families were urgently fleeing the devastating fire.

Immediately, though, Pasadena Humane officials could tell that Art wasn’t your average house cat.

“He was quite spirited upon arrival, leading us to believe he might have been a ‘community cat’ rather than a pet owned by someone,” said Kevin McManus, communications director for Pasadena Humane. “Many community cats are comfortable interacting with humans, but only on their own terms. This was the impression we got from Art as well.”

During the fires, Pasadena Humane was taking in dozens of animals at a time, holding them for more than a month in case their previous owners showed up. But no one ever came for Art, which gave credence to their theory that he used to be a stray.

So the shelter did what it always does when an animal with no owner takes up residence: He was put up for adoption.

In the three months that he was at Pasadena Humane, McManus said he warmed up to the staff, allowed them to pick him up and would even sit in their laps.

“He gave signs that he might make a snuggly companion,” McManus said.

Eventually, after things in the San Gabriel Valley returned to some bit of normalcy, Art said his goodbyes and was adopted by a member of the community.

But the cat, according to Pasadena Humane, proved to be a bit more “feisty” than his new owner had expected.

“The adopter described him as ‘needy,’ but part of that neediness was his desire to play, and play a little bit more roughly than she had bargained for,” McManus said.

Another three months passed, and his owner decided that it still wasn’t a right fit, so she brought Art back to Pasadena Humane.

Many people might prefer a “needy” cat, while others might want a solitary one that only makes appearances at feeding time. Other owners might be looking for a little bit of column A and column B.

Ultimately, his previous owner made the difficult call to surrender the cat she adopted. But McManus said there were no hard feelings. “She made the correct decision,” he said.

On June 5, his story was shared on social media with new, more detailed information about this behavior, wants and needs.

“If you’re looking for a Velcro kitty who always wants to be the center of attention (and will show off his perfectly fluffy belly to make sure that happens), seven-year-old Art is probably the cat for you,” the post reads.

Staff at Pasadena Humane said that, with a better understanding about his personality, they were confident they would be able to find Art the right home.

They were right.

The social media post landed in front of the right set of eyes and, about a day after his story was shared, Art went home with someone who was prepared and excited about the type of cat he’d shown himself to be.

“When my husband and I saw this post we knew straight away we had to take Art home,” his new owner wrote in a comment beneath the original social media post. “I’ve had cats all my life and have been without one for a couple of years so it was high time to welcome a new one into our lives.”

She said Art was settling in “extremely well” and the family was happy to give him all the love, support and attention he craves.

McManus says this type of rescue isn’t all that unusual. Often well-meaning adopters and the animals in need don’t click right away, which is why Pasadena Humane welcomes back any animal adopted from its shelter.

“We are committed to trying to make the best match between the animals and the families looking to adopt,” McManus said. “Because with more information, it helps us greatly to find a better fit the next time.”

For more information about Pasadena Humane, and to see the current residents awaiting their perfect fit, click here.