Two Cats Develop Bond During Shelter Stay

Last month, Dakin accepted a large surrender of more than 15 cats and kittens who needed help finding homes.

The group was made up of cats and kittens that varied widely in age, making it challenging to know how to best house them in the shelter.

A three-month-old kitten named Asher was the most timid and nervous of the group. He kept his body low to the ground and darted his dilated eyes back and forth, doing his best to analyze this strange new place.

Staff took special notice of Asher and decided to move him into a holding kennel with Stephen, a more outgoing adult cat from the same group.

Adjusting to an unfamiliar place with weird smells and sounds would be hard for anyone. The hope was that Stephen’s confidence would put some of Asher’s anxiety at ease.

Immediately, Asher found solace and Stephen’s presence and snuggled right up, offering comfort gestures like grooming and “making biscuits”, an affectionate term for kneading, an instinctual soothing movement.

Within minutes, it was clear that this pair would be inseparable as they were a source of great comfort to each another during a confusing and stressful time.

The next day, the fast friends were moved into a larger room together, so they'd have more room to play and stretch their legs.

When animals come to Dakin already bonded or if we determine that they’re bonded, we require them to be adopted as a pair. Separating highly-bonded animals can cause severe distress and grief when they’re abruptly separated and never see each other again. It’s important to us that bonded animals stay close to the one thing in their life that’s still consistent — their best friend.

Through tens of thousands of adoptions, we know that bonded pairs take significantly longer to find homes than single animals. But when we see a true bond between animal friends, it’s always worth the wait.

Before long, the stars aligned again for Asher and Stephen. An adopter came forward who had previous experience adopting bonded cats, so she knew just what she was looking for. She has two sons who are very close, which made her even more certain that Steven and Asher belonged together in her family.

Every animal’s adoption is a story to celebrate, no matter where they came from or how they ended up needing help. We’re grateful that Asher and Stephen chose to write each other into their next chapter and found an adopter who enthusiastically supported that.