Bonded Sisters Lost Adoption Chance After Hiding From Potential Family: Northport Kitties Of The Week

COMMACK, NY — Rachel and Gracie finally got the opportunity their rescuers had been waiting for.

A family wanted to meet the bonded 3-year-old sisters, who have remained in foster care while searching for a permanent home through Northport Cat Rescue Association.

The meet-and-greet was arranged.

Maybe, volunteers hoped, this was finally it.

Then the visitors arrived — and Rachel and Gracie hid.

“They didn’t come running to greet them,” the rescue said. “They didn’t show off their sweet personalities. They were simply frightened by unfamiliar people.”

The family ultimately decided the sisters were not the right cats for them.

Then the visitors walked out.

Almost immediately, Rachel and Gracie came out of hiding, ran to their foster mother, began purring and sought affection — behaving exactly as they normally do when they feel safe.

“They hadn’t changed,” Northport Cat Rescue Association said. “They simply felt safe again.”

Now, the rescue is sharing the sisters’ story again in hopes of finding an adopter willing to give them something their recent meet-and-greet could not: time.

“Cats don’t understand meet-and-greets,” NCRA said. “They don’t understand that they may only have a few minutes to make a first impression. They only understand whether they feel safe.”

A Long Road Indoors

Rachel, a calico, and her sister Gracie spent much of their lives outdoors, where a woman provided them with food, shelter and a safe place on her property.

Their circumstances changed when the woman traveled overseas expecting to be away for only several weeks.

While she was gone, her home flooded, preventing her from returning as planned, according to the rescue.

A neighbor continued caring for the sisters but noticed Rachel was in pain.

Her dental problems became so severe that she stopped eating.

NCRA was contacted, and Rachel was taken to a veterinarian, where several painful teeth were removed.

As Rachel recovered, volunteers discovered that beneath her initial shyness was an affectionate, gentle cat.

The original plan had been to provide medical care and return Rachel to the property.

Instead, rescuers decided she might be ready for indoor life.

There was one problem.

Gracie was still outside.

“We knew we couldn’t leave her sister behind,” NCRA said. “So we went back for Gracie.”

Their reunion made the depth of their bond immediately apparent.

The sisters began head-butting, purring and rubbing against one another as though they never wanted to be separated again, according to the rescue.

Gracie was subsequently found to need dental care of her own.

Once both were healthy, they moved together into foster care.

“And they blossomed,” NCRA said.

The Cats Their Visitors Never Got To See

Rachel and Gracie adapted to the comforts of indoor life: soft beds, warm laps, gentle affection and the security of knowing they were safe.

They became laid-back companions who enjoy relaxing beside their foster family.

But strangers are different.

Their recent meet-and-greet highlighted the gap between the cats their foster mother knows and the cats potential adopters may see during a brief introduction.

The visitors saw two frightened cats hiding.

Their foster mother sees the sisters come running to her, purr, seek affection and relax beside the people they trust.

“The same two cats who had hidden only moments earlier were suddenly their loving, happy selves again,” NCRA said after the unsuccessful meeting.

For two cats that spent much of their lives outdoors, volunteers said, unfamiliar people can still require an adjustment period.

Sometimes that could mean several quiet visits, a gentle voice and patience before their actual personalities emerge.

“If we could only explain to every potential adopter that it is nearly impossible to judge a cat by the few minutes you spend meeting them,” the rescue said.

NCRA said adopting a shy cat can sometimes require “a leap of faith,” followed by the reward of seeing the animal’s personality emerge once it understands the home and people around it are safe.

‘Give Them The Time To Show It’

Rachel and Gracie have remained together through outdoor life, medical problems, changing circumstances and their transition into foster care.

They are safe now.

But as another season passes and winter approaches, the rescue said they are still missing something they have never truly had: a permanent home of their own.

They are not looking for much.

“A comfortable couch, a sunny window, someone to love and someone willing to give them a little time,” NCRA said.

The rescue stressed that adopters would not be gambling on whether Rachel and Gracie might someday become affectionate.

Their foster family already knows they are.

“We aren’t asking someone to take a chance on two cats who may never become affectionate,” NCRA said. “We already know how loving they are. We’re simply asking someone to give them the time to show it.”

The rescue hopes the next person interested in the sisters will not be discouraged if they initially disappear.

Instead, volunteers are hoping for someone who understands that a frightened first impression does not necessarily reveal what a cat will be like once settled into a home.

“Trust isn’t always earned in the first five minutes,” NCRA said.

Somewhere, the rescue believes, is the person who will watch Rachel and Gracie hide and simply tell them: “That’s okay, girls. Take your time.”

“And when that day comes, Rachel and Gracie will come out of hiding,” the rescue said. “They’ll begin to purr. They’ll curl up beside their people.”

This time, volunteers hope, those people will be staying.

“They’ve spent their whole lives holding on to each other,” NCRA said. “Isn’t it time someone held on to them?”

Rachel and Gracie are spayed, fully vaccinated, microchipped and litter-box trained. Both have tested negative for FeLV and FIV.

Those interested in adopting the sisters can complete an application through the Northport Cat Rescue Association website. For more information, call 631-606-2631 or email info@northportcatrescue.org.