Los Angeles Woman Finally Discovers Why This Cat Was Labeled As Aggressive

Grace Choi has been fostering cats and kittens for as long as she can remember. Over the years, she has cared for animals who were sick, abandoned, disabled, or mistreated.

But in all that time, she had never come across a cat quite like Bruno. His story would prove to be both remarkable and challenging, and one Grace would never forget.

Grace first met Bruno at the shelter after he had been rescued from the streets. He was strikingly handsome, one of the most beautiful strays the staff had ever encountered. But it didn’t take long to realize there was a problem.

Each time someone tried to approach him, Bruno reacted aggressively. It wasn’t just a warning hiss – he would strike out and attack anyone who dared to get too close.

Since Bruno was quickly labeled as aggressive, the shelter knew they needed someone willing to take a chance on him and foster this troubled boy.

Grace decided to meet him, and to everyone’s surprise, Bruno suddenly became the sweetest boy. As Grace said in her post: 

“When I came in to meet him, Bruno was surprisingly very warm and friendly! He came right up to the front of his cage and asked for pets. When I opened the cage door, he came out and continued rubbing on me! Even the staff member was shocked at how sweet he was.”

Grace instantly fell in love with him, confused as to why would anyone label him aggressive. She brought Bruno home and soon learned the harsh truth.

The moment she opened his cage at home, Bruno lashed out at her. As she also shared:

“He started growling, hissing, and swatting at me. He wouldn’t even let me come close to his carrier.”

It was clear to Grace that caring for Bruno would not be easy. To start, she gave him time to settle inside his cage while she set up a quiet room just for him, separate from her other foster cats.

Grace chose to record each day she spent with Bruno, believing his adjustment might only take a few days. What she didn’t realize was that their time together would turn into a much longer and more challenging journey.

After three days together, Bruno finally decided to give Grace a chance. He came out of his hiding spot, as Grace said in an update:

“Bruno is starting to show more interest in me and really seems to want pets! He’ll slowly approach me, but then quickly gets scared and defensive. I have to stay very still and calm, because he snaps if I make any sudden movements.”

Bruno often acted like he craved attention, yet deep down he was terrified of people. To Grace, his behavior was confusing – at times it seemed like he wanted affection, and at other moments he looked ready to lash out.

Worried there might be an underlying problem, she scheduled a vet visit to rule out anything serious.

But the exam revealed nothing unusual. Aside from the common issues most strays carry, Bruno was found to be in good health.

Grace and the vet concluded that Bruno’s behavior likely stemmed from emotional trauma, and that lashing out was simply his way of coping with it.

Sadly, just when Grace thought she made some progress with him, the unimaginable happened. While she was cleaning his room and his litter box, Bruno attacked her from behind. As mentioned in her update:

“He quietly sneaked up from behind and attacked my leg. I screamed because I was so caught off guard, and he immediately backed off.”

Afterward, Bruno often looked both confused and remorseful. It was as if he understood his reactions were wrong, yet his instinctive response to past trauma was to lash out and protect himself from anything he perceived as a threat.

Grace wasn’t physically hurt, but the setback weighed heavily on her heart. She didn’t know what Bruno had been through, yet she understood his healing would take far longer than a few days.

Then, one evening while she sat quietly in his room, something remarkable occurred. Bruno walked over and softly placed his paw on her.

Grace could hardly believe it – this was the first time he had reached out, showing that he was finally ready to ask for affection.

That small gesture convinced Grace that all her effort was worth it. Even though Bruno still had moments when his fears resurfaced, she devoted herself to helping him heal, spending as much time as possible guiding him past his anxieties.

From that day on, the two became best buddies. Any chance he got, Bruno would come and ask for some love and attention. As Grace shared:

“Bruno has been the most challenging by far. But with love, time and patience, we uncovered a gentle soul just craving love and affection.”

In a recent update, Grace revealed that Bruno had been struggling with arthritis in his lower back. This could explain much of his anger, as the constant pain likely made him lash out.

With the right medication and continued care, Grace is hopeful that he will soon enjoy a life free of discomfort. For now, he remains safely under her care until the day he’s ready to take the next step.