A story of a stray cat who had been shot with a BB gun before eventually finding his forever home and learning how to trust people again has melted hearts on social media. 

On May 22, Julia Stuller posted a video on Instagram, under the handle @mittenstherescuecat, explaining how she came to rescue Mittens, the former stray cat.

In text layered over the Instagram reel, Stuller wrote that Mittens started coming to the door every day, despite the freezing temperatures and thick snow outside. After Stuller started feeding the stray, it became clear that he was limping, so she trapped him and took him for a checkup at a veterinarian’s office.

Stuller learned that someone had shot the cat with a BB gun. After hearing what the stray cat—who was “terrified of humans”—had been through, Stuller decided to adopt him and help Mittens learn to trust again.

Newsweek contacted @mittenstherescuecat for comment via Instagram. We could not verify the details of the case.

The cat owner said she spent hours sitting with Mittens to help him grow more comfortable in her presence.

“We knew that it would take a long time, but we didn’t give up on him. We saw through his fear,” Stuller wrote.

Eventually, her patience and hard work paid off, and Mittens began to open up and trust his new family. The Instagram video shows Mittens warming to his life as a house cat—bonding with the other cats in Stuller’s home and cuddling with his new owner, who described him as “the best lap cat.”