A cat rescued from an abusive home has learned to trust again since finding her forever home because her owner’s boyfriend helped her learn how loving men can be.
Juno was rescued by 34-year-old Rosie Hardy in November 2022 from Dove Holes cat shelter in the UK, when she was thought to be around 6 months old. At the time, Hardy was going through a breakup and her previous cat, named Tuna, had sadly passed away, so she needed something (or someone) to give her hope again.
She said that when Hardy, from Devon, England, entered the shelter and saw Juno Newsweek that she felt “instantly connected to it.” Juno was born with a genetic defect that caused her ears to fold over, making it look like she had no ears at all.
But her imperfections made her perfect in Hardy’s eyes.
“My ex didn’t like my fondness for cats and was quite critical of my appearance throughout our relationship. When I saw Juno, her appearance and lack of ears surprised me a little at first, but I didn’t want to have to change my appearance for anyone and Juno shouldn’t either,” Hardy said.
“I picked her up and she fell asleep in my arms and from that moment on I couldn’t leave the rescue without her.”
@georgiarosehardy / TikTok
The shelter told Hardy that Juno was previously owned by a woman “living with an abusive partner,” which clearly affected the cat in multiple ways. She was given away with her cat sister three months before Hardy rescued her.
Juno seemed very scared of the world around her, and even the slightest noise caused her to experience “extraordinary fear.” Even after finding her forever at home, any unexpected sound would terrify Juno, as Hardy said that the sound of letters being sent through the door would make her “hide under the bed all day long.”
But as it turns out, Juno’s forever family would grow again because just a month after being rescued, Hardy met her boyfriend, 33-year-old Ashley Cox. Because Juno is very nervous around new people, Hardy was worried about how he would react to Cox. She actually had nothing to worry about because they bonded right away.
“I have fostered cats before and I know it is a long and ongoing process to open them up. So I was very surprised when she opened up to Ash at all,” Hardy said.
“Scottish Folds can become very attached to a person and I think Ash has accepted that it will be me. But sometimes they let more than one person into their inner circle, and Ash has a good rating. I prefer to spend time together and cuddle with him during the day, sit on his lap while he works, and she will cuddle with me at night.
Hardy loves seeing her boyfriend being so gentle with Juno. The duo is completely smitten with each other. As a wedding photographer, Hardy sometimes travels for work, and Juno is happy to stay home with her new best friend.
“It looks like there is love between them,” Hardy added.
She often captures adorable moments between Juno and Cox, and even shared a sweet clip on TikTok (@georgiarosehardy), showing how tender and loving he is towards her.
The video has won many hearts online, generating over 159,600 views and over 22,300 likes on TikTok in just a few days.
“Not only did Ash teach Juno how to trust men again, but he also showed me how to trust them. He always let her be herself and let me be myself. “I think seeing Juno fall in love with him has made me fall deeper in love with him too,” Hardy said Newsweek.
“It was just one sweet moment of many that I decided to film. Seeing the reaction online reassured me that I had chosen the right partner and that I had given Juno a wonderful, safe home where she could live out the rest of her life years later.”
Since the video went viral on TikTok, it has generated over 480 comments from adoring social media users.
One comment reads: ‘Look at the way she looks at him. Animals know the good ones. You have a guardian there. Value each other.”
Another TikToker wrote, “There is nothing more beautiful than when an animal looks at someone with such love/trust.”
“The greenest of green flags,” said one commentator.
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