Rachael Robertson received a call in January that Garbanzo, a cat she had previously fostered, had been dropped off at a local shelter
Though she’d initially believed it to be a mistake, she found out Garbanzo’s previous owner had left her, so she took the cat back in
Robertson has been detailing Garbanzo’s slow recovery journey on TikTok, where the story has quickly gone viral and amassed much love for the foster cat
One cat has found her way back to the family that first loved her.
Rachael Robertson initially took Garbanzo in as a foster of three kittens in 2021 when the animals were just 3 days old. She says she called the trio “The beans” and named them each after a different kind of bean: Garbanzo, Pinto and Fava. With kittens that young, there’s a lot of care that goes into them: bottle feeding every two hours, grooming, helping them go to the bathroom and keeping them warm.
“[Garbanzo] was the sweetest baby — of the three, she was actually the kitten I wished I could’ve kept, but my household was at capacity already,” Robertson says, noting she already has three cats and three dogs she cares for in addition to her foster animals. “Garbanzo was with me until July 15. Her two sisters got adopted together and are so, so happy with a friend of mine, and Garbanzo went to what was, at the time, a great home.”
Though Robertson had initially believed she’d found a loving home for Garbanzo — and had even left the door open for the cat’s new owner to return her to her, should the situation no longer work out — she received a call from the local shelter that her cat “had been brought in as a stray.”
“I was standing there staring at my three cats, so I knew it had to be one of my former fosters — I keep their microchips in my name just to be safe,” Robertson says of the Jan. 26 call. “And I just had a feeling it had to be Garbanzo. They described her to me, and my feeling was confirmed.”
When Garbanzo had initially found her new home, Robertson says the cat’s new mother kept in touch, sending photos of them snuggling and spending time together. “She even thanked me for bringing Garbanzo into her life and expressed that having Garbanzo was one of the greatest things that had happened to her,” Robertson says. “Everything seemed wonderful.”
“I truly thought she had somehow accidentally escaped and that her former adopter must’ve been worried sick,” Robertson says. “I called her and left a message letting her know Garbanzo had been found, and that she must be so relieved!”
Though Robertson suggested in her voicemail to Garbanzo’s former owner that they set a time to pick the cat up from the shelter together, she found herself ultimately blocked instead.
“I got a sinking feeling in my gut and realized this was no accident. She wasn’t found as a stray — her former adopter had dumped her there,” Robertson recalls. When she arrived at the shelter to pick Garbanzo up, she says seeing Garbanzo there “just broke me.”
“That broken feeling lingered with me for quite a while,” she admits.
Since bringing Garbanzo back home, Robertson has been sharing the slow recovery process on TikTok. Her initial video recounting the situation quickly went viral, bringing in 4.9 million views and more than 575,000 likes. Though her commenters were appalled at the situation, with many demanding there be “consequences” for Garbanzo’s former owner, Robertson has maintained a more diplomatic approach to the situation.
“I don’t believe in attacking people, and getting that information is key to Garbanzo’s success,” she says to PEOPLE. After multiple attempts, she was able to get back in touch with Garbanzo’s former owner, hoping to get information about her health to ensure the cat received appropriate medical treatment. “Her former adopter told me Garbanzo had been abused by a prior roommate, and then began peeing all over the house, had bloody stool for months and stopped grooming herself. All of this was stress and trauma.”
But as she did when Garbanzo and her two littermates initially needed a home, Robertson took her back in. The first few days back in Robertson’s care were rough; in the TikToks, Garbanzo is hesitant and nervous, often hissing at Robertson and anyone else who gets too close to her.
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It’s now been more than 40 days since Garbanzo found her way back to Robertson. She’s had a couple of vet visits and a lot of time alone, but it’s clear she’s made significant progress in learning how to trust again. As Robertson shows the progress she’s made with Garbanzo, she also uses the videos to explain the cat’s behaviors, helping others understand feline body language and how to read situations in which cats may be stressed.
“This amazing community has popped up overnight and I am in awe of the love, generosity, and support of everyone who has seen her story,” Robertson says of the attention her videos have received. “My faith in humanity was a bit broken when I picked Garbanzo up from the shelter — and in so many ways, this community has healed me. And they’re also healing our sweet Garbanzo girl!”
In a recent video, Garbanzo met another person for the first time since coming back in to Robertson’s care. Though Garbanzo initially hissed at anyone who came near her, the new friend was able to feed her treats and sit near her without being met with hisses.
“I’m finally seeing the kitten I fostered and raised coming back, and all that fear and trauma is steadily melting away,” Robertson shares in an update. “She’s losing weight, happy, confident and learning to trust people again. She also started meeting some of my friends, and to my surprise, is having no issue being social! I’m so proud of her.”
It’ll still be some time before Garbanzo is ready to be placed with another family. Robertson is committed to helping the cat heal at “whatever pace she sets,” and though she clearly holds a special place in her heart for Garbanzo, she admits that the cat will eventually need to move on to another home.
“Garbanzo would do best as the only animal in the household,” Robertson says. “The ideal family will come along for her — I just know it. In the meantime, I’ll be carefully continuing the search for Garbanzo’s perfect match. She deserves nothing but that after all she’s gone through!”
Robertson admits she’s had plenty of people reach out offering to adopt Garbanzo when she is ready — but she also hopes her content will remind others that “fostering saves lives.”
“I know so many people want me to keep Garbanzo — and I understand the sentiment. But fostering is what allows animals like Garbanzo to have a safe space to come out of their shells so they can find their forever home. If fosters keep every animal they take in, they can’t provide that safe space to the next animal in need,” she says.
“Pets like Garbanzo deserve a change. It just takes time,” Robertson continues. “If you’re in love with Garbanzo, know there’s probably a cat just like her at your local shelter. Consider opening your heart and home up to them! With time and patience, so many animals like Garbanzo can thrive.”
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