A couple drove 2 hours to adopt a 'depressed' cat named Fishtopher after a tweet about him went viral. Now, they want to use his popularity to help other shelter pets.

• The "depressed" cat went viral after a user shared pictures of his Pet finder profile.

• The couple from Baltimore waited in the cold to adopt him.

• They are using his popularity to bring attention to other shelter animals.

The journey to Fishtoper's new home began with a message on the social networking site.

The Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center is in New Jersey. A photo of a large cat at the shelter was featured on the listing.

—Molly Clarke (@mollyaclarke) November 24, 2022

As of Sunday, the account had 168,000 likes and over 21 thousand followers. The social media users replied with encouragement and pictures of their own rescue cats.

Laura was one of the people who saw the cat on the internet. Folts told Insider that she and her boyfriend, who is 24 years old, previously talked about adopting a pet, so she sent the message on a joke. After submitting an application, she heard back from the shelter.

The couple left Baltimore at 8 a.m. and arrived at Homeward Bound at 10 a.m. They waited in the cold in order to be first in line. They succeeded in their efforts.

A lot of people wanted to see him. About eight or nine of the first 10 people that were there were able to see Fishtopher. They all have to pet him. We were the ones who took him home.

Homeward Bound said they got hundreds of inquires about Fishtopher, with some coming from California and the U.A.

Fishtopher moved into Callahan's home after a pitstop for cat food and cuddles. He's creating a few hideouts for himself, but he's adjusting well to his new space.

According to the couple, Fishtopher tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, a disease that attacks a cat's immune system. 2.5 to five percent of cats in North America are affected by FIV.

Fishtopher's new owners say he's a warm, affectionate pet who loves people despite his setbacks.

Folts began documenting the cat's new life with photos on her personal TWo page and also created a account in his name. As of Sunday, both of Fisthtopher's social media accounts had over 13 thousand followers.

She said that a lot of people were saying that they could tell how happy he was.

They want to bring attention to other animals in need now that Fishtopher has a platform. She hopes the people who bought Fishtopher items from a small wish list will notice.

She said she hoped people kept the same energy for other cats because he was unique. There are other cats that need homes and money as well. We adopted him so people wanted to give us money or food. I'm not going to do that. It should be given to other cats who don't have a home at the moment.

Homeward Bound's executive director is hoping that others will be inspired by Fishtopher's story because the center is currently over capacity.

She hopes that the attention he got will make people realize that there are many wonderful cats and dogs available for adoption.

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