'I beg a kind person to adopt it': China pet shop owner finds abandoned cat with touching note from elderly person

A pet shop owner in Chuxiong, China was furious when she found an abandoned cat with a note and some cash, only to realise it was the owner's gesture of love.

In a Douyin video posted on March 7, a cat with white-grey fur is seen sitting in the carrier, alongside two clean bowls and a container with cat food. 

"A crumpled piece of paper and an obedient cat huddled in a box," the caption read. 

The shopowner, identified as Sun, had discovered the cat that same day and was furious as she thought it had been abandoned by an irresponsible owner, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP). 

Sun found a crumpled pink note below the cat, which wrote: "I am an elderly person living alone from out of town. I will be having surgery tomorrow and can no longer care for this cat."

It added that the cat is a four-year-old feline named Laibao that had been sterilised. It also described the cat as affectionate and well-behaved. 

"I beg a kind person to adopt it. ... I'm really at my wits' end, I am deeply grateful."

A bundle of cash, mostly small notes, was also tied together as a "token of appreciation". 

'You can visit anytime'

Sun confirmed Laibao was in good health after taking it for a health check. 

However, she was unable to find any leads on Laibao's owner despite checking surveillance cameras and visiting multiple local hospitals, reported SCMP. 

Instead, Sun reportedly displayed a photo of the feline outside her store with a note assuring that Laibao is being "well cared for, eating well and sleeping soundly". 

It added: "If your surgery goes well, you can visit Laibao anytime after you recover." 

Sun also promised to return Laibao once the owner had been found. 

@asiaone Laibao is now being looked after by the pet shop owner who wrote a back a letter saying she is well taken care of. #chinaa #news #cat #pet ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

The video has garnered more than 1.8 million likes on Douyin. 

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esther.lam@asiaone.com