Woman wrote touching letter to her cat's new family before she died

A touching letter written by the late owner of an orange tabby cat in the US is being shared in the hope it will help her find a new home.

Susie the cat was taken to Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center in Derwood, Maryland on May 15 after her owner died, ABC News reports.

The owner's son, who was unable to take care of the cat, brought along a note written by his mother, intended for Susie's new family.

An excerpt from the two-and-a-half page letter reads:

"Dear Friend, Thank you for adopting my friend, Susies.

She was one of three cats in a litter. November 15, 2010 is her approximate birthdate. She moved in with me on December 1, 2010.

Susie is unusual but I enjoy her company.

She is a good snuggler but she likes to be the boss. She spends much of her time on my bed but I always seems [sic] to know where I am. I hope you enjoy Susie as much as I have."

Katherine Zenzano, community outreach coordinator at the animal shelter, said that she hopes that the heartfelt letter will encourage someone to take her home.

"I'm sure that when she wrote it, she wrote it just to the intent of getting it to the adopter," Mrs Zenzano said.

"But we realised Susie was wasn't going anywhere. Some cats are really great at selling themselves and Susie wasn’t selling herself.

Mrs Zenzano said that Susie has been described by staff as a "love bug" and the sweet history of her life would make her a desirable pet.

"Every cat has a story. Every animal that comes here has a story and we are left to guess so much. We piece together a lot of the story for them, but with Susie we have a lot to go on," she said.

Susie the cat's adoption page is here.