Ark Animal Sanctuary – Week of September 9

At the Ark there is a cat named Twin. Twin is not your ordinary cat. If I had to guess, I would say he is at least 10 years old or more. Twin came to The Ark many years ago, actually before the fire. He was brought in with a cat named Bobbi. Bobbi was a social butterfly, while Twin was very timid and shy.

When we looked into Twin’s eyes it was if there was nothing there just a blank stare.  As much as we tried we could never bring him out of his shell. He was not a cat that you could touch or cuddle, he always hid and when it came time to go to the vet and it was a nightmare, but we always managed.

Twin was sent to a foster home with other cats where we hoped he would improve while his best friend Bobbi remained at The Ark. Unfortunately, Bobbi perished in the fire that fateful day. 

Twin remained in foster care and was brought back to The Ark this past year. It seemed as if nothing had changed in the many years since he left. We put him in a room with  other cats, but his personality remained the same. 

About a month ago we decided to try something different and mix it up. Twin was in a room with two new cats who were very large cats and very loving cats. These cats had both just finished antibiotics after being sick when they were put in the room.

Tyson and Sparky immediately made themselves right at home. The next day we noticed Twin was out and about and not hiding.  The following days he amazed us even more he was out all of the time and following Tyson and Sparky wherever they went. He would head butt them and rub up against them but more importantly when we looked into his eyes there was no more blank stare just a happy cat.

Then it happened. One of the volunteers was cleaning their room and Twin actually let her pat him!  This was a huge milestone for Twin.

 Every day Twin never ceases to amaze us. He is out all of the time; he doesn’t hide; and he is actually playing with toys and lounging in the sun with Tyson and Sparky. They say good things take time and in Twin’s case that is true. We never gave up and finally Twin has come around. 

He still has a ways to go but we are happy with his progress. Yes it took about 10 years but it was so worth the wait. Sparky and Tyson were the key that unlocked the mystery of Twin. We will continue to let Twin move at his own pace but everyday brings something new. We look forward to what the future holds and we are so thankful that we got to be a part of this amazing journey.

 Thank you for your continued support and as always, thank you for reading our column.

The Ark Animal Sanctuary is located on 101 Old Woodstock Road. To contact Lorraine Monfils call 532-7387 or check out their Facebook page.