Hillsborough, North Carolina – She had come to help him, but soon, Alexa Chapman of Longleaf Animal Rescue was shedding tears. The reason: a letter in the file of the cat named Merlin.

At the end of September, Chapman drove to the local animal shelter in Hillsborough, North Carolina, after learning about Merlin's arrival. The cat had previously lived on the streets in a feral colony.

Nevertheless, a neighbor had taken an interest in him and the other cats. She had also noticed the problems he was developing while eating.

In her handwritten letter, the cat lover poured out her heart: "He gags and chokes on food. It terrifies him and he has stopped eating over the past few days."

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She continued, "This has been going on for months and is getting worse."

Elsewhere, the woman wrote, "I love him. I would take care of him forever."

Sadly, the woman doesn't have enough money for his treatment.

After reading the letter, Chapman immediately picked up the phone to call the author.

"She started crying because she didn't think anyone was going to help him; she just didn't want him to suffer," Chapman told The Dodo in an interview.

"She was heartbroken to have to surrender him… She wants him to be safe and loved," she added.

Since then, Chapman has taken Merlin in as a foster cat.

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Sadly, his vet had no choice but to treat a mouth infection by extracting his teeth. Now, Merlin can only eat food he doesn’t have to chew.

A happy ending is still pending. He won't be able to stay with his foster mother forever, so Chapman hopes someone will adopt the sweet cat soon.