Meet Cordova.
She’s gentle. Calm. Quietly affectionate. And for more than 700 days, she’s been waiting at Valley Animal Center in Fresno for someone to choose her.
But somehow, no one has.
Cordova’s story began heartbreakingly. When she was just a year old, she and another cat were discovered locked inside a dog crate and abandoned outside the shelter’s gates. Anjanette Mendoza, the shelter’s cat care specialist, found the pair and rushed them inside to safety.
The other cat was adopted quickly.
Cordova stayed behind.
Not long after her rescue, Cordova needed extensive dental surgery. Most of her top teeth had to be removed — a procedure that ultimately left her with a permanent underbite and a tiny tongue that sometimes peeks out in what staff lovingly call her “derpy” smile.
It doesn’t hurt her.
It doesn’t affect her health.
It’s simply part of what makes her unique.
“[S]he’s the sweetest girl with the cutest little tongue-out derp,” Valley Animal Center wrote on Instagram.
To the staff, her smile is irresistible.
To potential adopters?
It may be the reason they hesitate.
“We have gotten the feeling that it is a little bit intimidating,” Mendoza explained, “even if she’s not the kind of cat who really has an attitude in that way.”
Cordova isn’t flashy. She doesn’t sprint to the front of her kennel demanding attention. She’s more of a soft presence — the kind of cat you find curled up in a cozy bed, gazing thoughtfully out the window.
“Most of the time, we find her in a nice cozy little bed, looking out the window,” Mendoza said.
She’s reserved at first. Observant. Gentle.
But once she feels safe, she melts into affection.
Day after day, families walk through the shelter. They pause at other kennels. They fall for bolder personalities. Meanwhile, Cordova waits quietly — her little underbite visible, her big heart unseen.
Online, thousands of people have fallen in love with her photos.
“She is super cute,” one commenter wrote. “Looks like a little vampire.”
But what Cordova really needs isn’t virtual admiration.
She needs someone to walk through those doors and see her.
Cordova would thrive in a calm, relaxed home without dogs. She does well with other cats and would happily spend her days lounging nearby while you read, work, or watch TV. She’s the perfect companion for someone who appreciates quiet loyalty over chaos.
After more than 700 days, the staff at Valley Animal Center are longing for the moment her wait finally ends.
“It would be really exciting, I think, for everybody that works here currently to see her go home finally,” Mendoza said.
Her smile may be a little crooked.
But her heart?
Absolutely perfect.
If you're interested in adopting Cordova, you can fill out an application here.
