Things can be challenging for a blind animal, but if they are lucky they will have a good friend who will serve as their “seeing eye” and help them navigate the world. When a blind animal is given up for adoption, shelters often hope to find someone willing to foster their friend as well. And now an animal shelter is challenged to find a home for three inseparable feline friends: a blind cat, her mother, and her new kitten friend.
The story began in August after Sioux City Animal Rescue and Adoption found two cats believed to be mother and child in Sioux City, Iowa. And the cats had a very special and inseparable bond: the younger cat had no eyes and his mother acted like his cat “seeing eye”.
“These cats are probably the closest cats I’ve ever seen,” Chris Wall, vice president of the shelter, told KCAU. Wall described the cats as “fabulously friendly” and hoped someone would be willing to take them in as a family after the cats were put up for adoption.
They named the blind one-year-old cat Keller and his mother “Anne Sullivan” (named after Helen Keller’s instructor). However, it later emerged that the mother cat also had medical problems. According to KCAU, she had to have her teeth removed and a large tumor was found in her sinus cavity.
Given the older cat’s poor health and the younger cat’s dependence on her, the shelter decided it would be best to have a third mate in the mix. The mother was reluctant to accept another cat because she was very protective of her son. But when they introduced Trixie, a 9-week-old kitten with “a lot of personality,” she warmed up and took the kitten under her wing.
“We positioned him in with them and that they love every other,” stated refuge director Cindy Rarrat. “I`ve been right here 37 years and I`ve by no means stumble upon a state of affairs like this.”
The three cats are now inseparable, Trixie becomes part of the family. Most importantly, the kitten now seems to understand that Keller cannot see and quickly learned to be her second eye that she sees.
It’s great to see this new family bond so closely, and it’s great to know that Keller has another cat to guide him when something happens to his mother.
However, a new difficulty arises: to find a person who is ready to adopt three cats at once. It can already be difficult to find a home for two chained animals, especially when one has special needs. But the folks at Sioux City Animal Rescue are hoping someone will want to be part of this inseparable trio.
“We need to find someone who will accept three cats, let alone two cats, let alone one cat,” Rarrat told KCAU. “So we were looking for that special home, that special person to give these guys a chance.”
What a lovely family. We hope these three adorable tethered kitties will soon find a home together.