On International Cat Day (August 8th), Sandra found out about Bruce from the shelter's Facebook page and was completely smitten. "When I saw his picture, it just spoke to my heart," Sandra told Love Meow.

She decided to go and visit him, "just to look" since her landlord didn't allow pets. When she walked up to his kennel at the shelter, the sweet ginger boy immediately looked up at her with those sad eyes.

Sandra went home that day, heartbroken. She hoped a good family would snatch him up soon but couldn't stop checking for him on the website every day. When she learned that he was down with an upper respiratory infection, she went to visit him, and kept going back to see him.

After a month, Bruce still hadn't found a home. Sandra knew it was meant to be.

She convinced her landlord to make an exception to her apartment's "no pets" rule. "I sent a picture of him to my landlord (how can you say no to those eyes) and I got permission to get him!"