An adopter in search of a kitten immediately changed gears when she saw an older cat and fell in love.

Every May, TikTok user @amarissssslol goes to the local shelter to play with kittens as this time of year is known as “kitten season.” Springtime is generally regarded as the time of year when female cats begin giving birth to litters of kittens, leading to shelters becoming overwhelmed with unwanted felines.

“I already have one other cat so I didn’t really plan on getting another but I said if I was going to get another, it would have been a kitten,” she told Newsweek via TikTok.

She held a few kittens when she went to the animal shelter before finally opting to go into the senior room. One look at Bunny and her unintended search was over. That was her cat. She ran out of the room to fill out adoption paperwork. However, the shelter tried talking her out of it.

Bunny apparently “didn’t have long to live.” She barely had any teeth, needed eyelid surgery, and had cancer. But that didn’t stop her and now, Bunny is living her best life.

It didn’t take long for this owner to spoil Bunny. She said the first stop out of the shelter was the PetSmart store en route to Bunny’s forever home.

As for her sickness, Bunny’s eyes started to look better, the owner shared in a March 28 TikTok video. But Bunny will still let out a screaming meow if she can’t find her owner.

Not wanting to overwhelm her cat with vet visits, she has not confirmed with a vet whether or not Bunny has cancer, she wrote in the comment section. However, a few months after adopting Bunny, the owner learned Bunny was an “old girl with IBS.”

Cats can get irritable bowel syndrome after an episode of gastrointestinal distress, PetMD reports. These episodes can also be in response to a stressful event, an allergic reaction to their diet, or a change in their colon’s normal function.

While it is unconfirmed how Bunny got IBS, she was adopted and returned three separate times, which can cause a lot of stress on an animal.

Symptoms of IBS in cats include diarrhea, abdominal bloating, gas or pain, nausea and vomiting. Cats might also become lethargic, lose their appetite and experience persistent stress accompanied by gradual weight loss.

Viewer Reactions

Bunny’s story quickly touched hearts on TikTok as the clip reached 654,100 views, 86,800 likes and 367 comments.

“Omg thank you for adopting her!!! Senior kitties deserve all the love too,” said a viewer. The owner replied that she’ll “forever be a senior cat momma” now.

Another added: “I also adopted an old orange man and he is the biggest snuggle bug. I wish more older cats were adopted out as much as kittens.”