Every year, nearly 5,000 animals pass through our doors at the ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City. Each animal touches our heart in some special way, and we work hard to help them all find the best possible home. That’s why it means so much to us to receive updates from happy adopters like Linda B., who rescued her cat Sabrina exactly two years ago this week. Here is their Happy Tail.

In March of 2014, Sabrina was rescued from the home of a hoarder. During her behavioral assessment, it became apparent that life in the hoarder’s home had not been kind to Sabrina: the small black cat was intolerant of any handling and displayed signs of aggression toward other animals. Thankfully, our expert staff recognized that beneath her tough exterior, there was a perfect pet waiting to shine.

As time went on, Sabrina began to warm up to handling and lose some of her nervous behaviors. She even started coming to the front of her cage and rubbing against people’s hands! While we knew that she would never get along well with other cats, we were confident that she would thrive in the right solo environment. By July of that year, she was ready for a permanent home.

Linda B. of Fairfield, Connecticut, had been searching for a new companion for a while. In fact, she was on her third visit to the ASPCA when she finally met Sabrina. “She was so different from our previous cat,” Linda recalls. “She was a girl and he was a boy, she was tiny and he was huge, she was black and he was light grey.” But there was something special about Sabrina, and Linda was intrigued. She decided to bring her home.

This week marks the two year anniversary of Linda’s decision, and things could not be any better. She tells us that Sabrina has adjusted wonderfully to her new life and that she has “the perfect ‘fluffiness’ quotient and an amazing personality.” In fact, Linda says, “I can kiss her on the belly and she just purrs!”

Sabrina’s transformation is a testament to her new family—and  a happy reminder of how lucky we are to help give so many animals at our Adoption Center a chance at a new life. Whether it’s been two weeks or two years, a loving home is the happiest ending of all!

If you live in the New York City area and would like to adopt an animal of your own, please visit the ASPCA Adoption Center.