When Justin Martin walked into the Sacramento SPCA, he had no idea his life was about to change.
That’s when he met Atlas, a tiny, six-and-a-half-pound tabby who seemed to be screaming for attention.
“She’s very much the queen of the house,” Justin says. From the moment he laid eyes on her, it was clear that Atlas wasn’t just another shelter cat.
She was desperate for love — and she wasn’t shy about showing it.
What Justin didn’t know at the time was the heart-wrenching story behind Atlas’s cries.
Before arriving at the shelter, Atlas had been found in a homeless encampment. She was a mother to four kittens, but tragically, only three survived.
The kittens were adopted out, leaving Atlas completely alone. When Justin learned this, he was speechless.
“She took a while to get used to being around me,” he explains, but her longing for companionship made sense.
Adopting Atlas wasn’t just an act of kindness; it became a daily adventure. She’s chaotic, demanding, and absolutely lovable.
“She screams at me all the waking hours of the day,” Justin says. And she doesn’t let him forget who’s boss.
“Okay, okay, okay, whatever you want now!” he often finds himself saying, caving to her endless requests for attention.
Despite her small size — “she’s six pounds on a day where she’s stressing a little bit” — Atlas’s personality is larger than life.
She’s a ball of energy who needs Justin’s attention from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep.
Now, it’s just the three of them at home — Justin, Atlas, and her adopted brother. And though Atlas’s story began with heartbreak, she’s found her happy ending in a home where she’s adored, chaos and all.
