Bonded Sisters Rachel And Gracie Need A Home Together: Northport Kitties Of The Week

COMMACK, NY — Rachel and Gracie have been there for each other through outdoor life, medical problems and uncertainty.
Now, Northport Cat Rescue Association hopes the bonded sisters can find a permanent home together.

Rachel, a tortico, and Gracie, described by the rescue as having “soft bunny fur,” are around 3 years old and are Northport Cat Rescue Association’s Cats of the Week.

The sisters spent much of their lives outdoors, where a woman provided food, shelter and a safe place on her property, according to NCRA.

Then their routine changed. Their caretaker traveled out of the country expecting to be gone only a few weeks. While she was away, her home flooded, preventing her from returning as planned, the rescue said.

A neighbor stepped in to care for Rachel and Gracie.
Soon, the neighbor noticed Rachel was in pain.

“Her mouth was hurting so badly that she had stopped eating,” NCRA said.

The rescue was contacted, and Rachel was taken to a veterinarian, where several painful teeth were removed.
As she recovered, volunteers began seeing another side of her.

“Underneath her initial shyness was an incredibly sweet and gentle cat,” the rescue said.

The original plan had been to provide Rachel with veterinary treatment and return her to the property.
But her personality made volunteers wonder whether Rachel — and the sister waiting for her outside — might finally be ready for indoor life.

“So we went back for Gracie,” NCRA said.

Their reunion answered any question about how important the sisters were to each other.

“Rachel and Gracie immediately began head-butting each other and purring,” the rescue said. “They couldn’t get close enough.”

NCRA said watching the pair together made it clear Rachel and Gracie belonged side by side.

It was soon discovered that Gracie needed dental work as well.
Once both sisters were healthy and pain-free, they went together into foster care.

“And they blossomed,” NCRA said.

The rescue said Rachel and Gracie adjusted well to consistent warmth, safety and life indoors.

They also made it clear they were not looking for a particularly high-energy lifestyle.

“These girls aren’t looking for excitement,” NCRA said. “They aren’t climbing the curtains or racing through the house at 2 a.m.”

Instead, the rescue calls Rachel and Gracie “professional couch potatoes.”

They are calm, loving companions whose favorite place is simply beside their people, relaxing on a couch and enjoying the security they waited so long to have, according to NCRA.

Now, the sisters are waiting at Petco Commack for the final chapter of their story.

But with kittens competing for adopters’ attention, the two young adult cats have continued to be overlooked, the rescue said.

“They wait while people pass by,” NCRA said. “They watch the kittens get attention.”

And still, Rachel and Gracie sit together. The rescue requires that the sisters be adopted as a pair.

“They must be adopted together — and believe us when we say, keeping them together isn’t a burden,” NCRA said. “It’s a gift.”

Volunteers said the sisters have already shown how deeply they depend on and care for one another. Now, they need someone willing to love both of them.

“If you’ve been looking for two laid-back companions who want nothing more than a safe home, a comfortable couch and someone to sit beside, please don’t walk past Rachel and Gracie,” the rescue said.

NCRA is encouraging visitors to stop and meet the pair at Petco Commack.

“They have been there for each other through everything,” the rescue said. “Now they’re waiting for someone to be there for 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 adoption application through the Northport Cat Rescue Association website. For more information, call 631-606-2631 or email info@northportcatrescue.org