Meet our Meow Mail sponsored kittens of the month, Sabrina and Salem, two siblings with an incredibly special bond!
These sweet siblings were separated after being placed at a shelter, but they were determined to be reunited.
No one expected them to fight this hard to stay together…
A Chance Encounter
It all started on a fateful Friday when Sarah Richardson, a critical care cat rescuer for Community Cats of Central Arkansas, noticed something unusual at the local shelter.
“I was at the shelter picking up a litter of kittens when one of the shelter workers told me there was a tuxedo kitten that kept trying to break out of her cage,” said Sarah.
Sarah was already taking home 13 kittens that day to prevent them from being euthanized.
She told the shelter that she would return for the tuxedo kitten if things got worse.
The shelter called Sarah the next day telling her that the kitten had hit her head so hard against the cage that she’d busted her cheeks.
“She wanted to get out of that cage so badly that she hurt herself in the process,” said Sarah. “That’s not normal.”
Luckily, Sarah made it to the shelter 5 minutes before they closed and brought home the little tuxedo kitten whom she later named Sabrina.
However, little Sabrina still whined and cried all weekend as if she was trying to tell Sarah something…
“I knew something was wrong,” said Sarah. “So I looked back through my photos of her at the shelter and realized what she was so upset about.”
Unraveling a Mystery
Upon taking a closer look at the shelter picture, Sarah noticed another kitten in the kennel next to Sabrina.
This was the missing piece of the puzzle.
“I called the shelter Monday morning and asked if Sabrina had a sibling,” said Sarah. “Sure enough, the kitten in the kennel next to her was her brother.”
The shelter told Sarah that her brother had been screaming and crying even more since his sister left.
He’d even tried busting out of his cage and bloodied up his nose in the process.
“They were desperately trying to get close to each other,” said Sarah. “Even if it meant hurting themselves.”
Once her suspicions were confirmed, Sarah returned to the shelter for Sabrina’s brother, Salem.
What happened next left Sarah on the verge of tears…
Reunited at Last
Sarah put Salem in front of Sabrina and waited for the moment of truth.
“They immediately ran up to each other, rubbed heads, and pounced on each other in a warm embrace,” said Sarah.
Their cries were instantly replaced with satisfied purrs and friendly chirps.
Sabrina and Salem were finally reunited– this is what they’d wanted all along.
“They never whimpered again,” said Sarah. “It was such a beautiful moment to witness.”
Their moods instantly changed; they went from being sad and anxious to bursting with joy!
Now they can finally focus on being happy kittens and enjoying each other’s company.
The brother-sister-duo are making up for lost time by wrestling and tumbling around the house.
After a long day of playful shenanigans, they curl up together on the couch for a nice long nap.
Though Sarah was excited to see the siblings so happy, she knew there were still some difficult challenges ahead.
The Road to Recovery
Sabrina and Salem were both dehydrated, malnourished, and covered in parasites.
“They refused to eat at the shelter because they were so traumatized,” said Sarah. “What they went through took a serious toll on their health.”
They both have deep wounds from forcefully bashing their faces against metal bars while trying to break out of their cages.
Sarah was quick to give the siblings fluids and antibiotics, but continues to take them to the vet for follow-up care and further treatment.
Another vet visit revealed that Sabrina strained her front leg from sticking it through her cage.
“When they busted their faces, the wounds were so deep that the vet didn’t know if there’d be long term damage,” said Sarah. “Those cuts will definitely leave scars.”
The kittens are so happy to be together that they don’t care to fuss about the pain.
All that matters to them is that they’re together.
Challenges Ahead
Once the siblings gain weight and muscle mass, they’ll be fixed and fully vetted so they can be adopted.
Sarah knew from the moment she reunited the siblings that they’d be adopted as a bonded pair.
“They fought hard to be together,” said Sarah. “So I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure things stay that way.”
Adopting out a bonded pair is always a challenge, but Sabrina and Salem are going to be especially challenging because of their fur color and facial scars.
“It’s hard enough adopting out black cats because of the stereotypes, but it’ll be even harder finding a home for two cats who don’t look ‘perfect’ by society’s standards.”
Sarah hopes that someone special can look past their blemishes and find them beautiful no matter what.
Until then, she is committed to caring for them no matter how long it takes.
Help Sabrina & Salem Live Happily Ever After
After all these siblings have been through, they deserve a true forever family that will love and cherish them as a bonded pair.
However, Sabrina and Salem’s medical expenses and long term foster care are a financial dilemma for Sarah.
Community Cats of Central AR is a small 501(c)3 non-profit rescue organization led by two women in a rural community with high animal cruelty rates.
They rely on donations from kind-hearted individuals to continue saving cats & kittens that have suffered from neglect, abuse, or abandonment.
If you’d like to help Sarah with Sabrina & Salem’s food, medicine, or vet costs, please donate through our Meow Mail program.
By donating as little as $10, you’ll be mailed a progress picture and personalized letter with heartwarming updates on how your donation changed Sabrina and Salem’s life.
Please consider making a recurring donation to receive Meow Mail each month for future cats and kittens in critical condition.
Follow Sarah on Instagram to see more of Sabrina, Salem, and her other adorable foster cats!
**UPDATE**
Sabrina and Salem have officially been adopted and doing beautifully in their new home.
Click here to read more about how they’re living happily ever after alongside each other!
These sweet girls appreciate all your love and support.
Valerie Jordan
Monday 7th of November 2022
I would like to adopt Sabrina and Salem. I live in Columbia, SC and I have 4 cats and one (1) kitten. They would have a very loving family, with 2 human parents, ages 74 who are both retired and spend lot of time with our babies. Both of us are only on Social Security and wouldn’t be able to help with their current hospital bills, but I have a vet here for any future needs. They eat only Iams wet and dry food, litter pans dipped daily and changed weekly. They have enough toys and beds for about 10 cats. Lol. If my adopting them I would need to know the cost then how I would get them here. Please consider me as their new mom and my roommate is a great cat dad. Thank you
Frances Yetter
Tuesday 25th of October 2022
I would be happy to donate, but I need a mailing address. Not paying fees to donate when animals could benefit from full amount.
Carol Dloss
Sunday 23rd of October 2022
Do you transport cats to other southern-ish states? Or connect with truckers or etc. who would transport them? I have good friends I will contact about them, but we are all 4 in southeast Texas, Houston area? Of course they are probably already spoken for?
Claudia
Monday 7th of November 2022
@Carol Dloss, Hello. I am in Texas. I have many rescue cats & kittens up for adoption if any of your friends are interested.
jessica lee barnes
Sunday 23rd of October 2022
i will give them a home together. how did this happen if it was purposely done i hope they r punished horribly
Claudia
Monday 7th of November 2022
@jessica lee barnes, Highly unlikely that someone purposely separated the kittens just to torment them.It is common procedure to put each animal in it's own cage. No one needs to be punished but it is wonderful that they were able to be fostered and reunited. That should be celebrated! Shelter workers are completely overwhelmed right now.