Things can be challenging for a blind animal, but if they’re lucky they’ll have a good friend to act as their “seeing eye” companion, helping them to navigate the world.
So when a blind animal is put up for adoption, shelters often hope to find someone willing to take in their friend as well. And now, one shelter has the challenge of finding a home for three inseparable cat buddies: a blind cat, his mom, and their new kitten friend.
The story started in August, after Sioux City Animal Rescue and Adoption, in Sioux City, Iowa, found two cats, believed to be a mother and son. And the cats had a very special, unbreakable connection: the younger cat had no eyes, and his mom acted as his “seeing eye” cat.
“These cats are probably the most bonded cats that I’ve ever seen,” Chris Wall, the shelter’s vice president, told KCAU.
Wall described the cats as “fabulously friendly,” and hoped that after the cats were put up for adoption, someone would be willing to take them in as a family.
They named the blind one-year-old cat Keller and his mom “Anne Sullivan” (the name of the instructor of Helen Keller). However, it later became clear that the mama cat also had medical issues. According to KCAU, she had to have her teeth removed, and they found a large tumor on her sinus cavity.
Given the elder cat’s poor health and the younger cat’s reliance on her, the shelter decided it would be best to have a third companion in the mix.
The mom was reluctant to accept another cat because she was so protective of her son. But when they introduced Trixie, a 9-week-old kitten with a “ton of personality,” she warmed up and took the kitten under her wing.
“We put him in with them and they love each other,” said shelter director Cindy Rarrat. “I’ve been here 37 years and I’ve never come across a situation like this.”
The three cats are now inseparable, with Trixie becoming part of the family. Most importantly, the kitten now seems to understand that Keller can’t see and has quickly learned to be his second seeing eye companion.
It’s so great to see this new family form such a close bond, and it’s great to know that Keller will have another cat to guide him if anything happens to his mother.
However, it also raises a new difficulty: finding someone willing to adopt three cats at once.
It can already be difficult just to find a home for two bonded animals, especially when one of them has special needs. But, the people at Sioux City Animal Rescue are hopeful that someone out there will be willing to take in this inseparable trio.
“We have to find somebody that will accept three cats, and let alone two cats and let alone one cat,” Rarrat told KCAU. “So we’ve been looking for that special home, that special someone that would give these guys a chance.”
What a sweet family. We hope that these three beautiful, bonded cats can find a home together soon.
If you are interested in giving a home to these three cats, you can contact Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center.
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