To see Otie now, cozy and purring, you might never guess he was once just another sad cat in search of a happy home. But that’s exactly how his mom, Alyssa Keeling, found him while on a visit to her local animal shelter.

“He was clearly depressed,” Keeling told The Dodo. “But he also had this big personality that was not meant to be caged.”
Otie was miserable. Then everything changed.

ALYSSA KEELING

Though Otie’s dour disposition at the shelter may have turned off some potential adopters, assuming he would be an unfriendly pet, Keeling decided to open her heart to him. She soon discovered Otie’s true nature.

“When he was finally in his new home, it’s like a switch flipped. Otie came to life,” Keeling said.

She put together this adorable video to show Otie’s transformation — a heartwarming demonstration of what love can do to a sad shelter cat:

Otie has blossomed.

And it’s all thanks to Keeling’s ability to see past his sadness at the shelter.

ALYSSA KEELING

Though Otie certainly has a lot to be thankful for, it’s Keeling who feels like the lucky one.

“Looking back on all the pictures and videos I have of him in his cage, I’m just so grateful he’s here with me, that I get to be the one to love him, and that he’s living his best, silliest, quirkiest life,” she said.