Gabrielle Zaffiro McLemore and her husband were strolling past the Pennsylvania SPCA one day when they came across a beautiful cat and decided to go inside and meet him. They had no intention of adopting on that day because they already had two cats, but after spending time with Jean Ralphio, they fell in love and knew he would be joining them at home. When the couple discovered the cat had a sibling, Mona Lisa, they felt they couldn’t keep them apart and adopted her as well.
The pair have been with their family for almost a year now, and their parents are so grateful that they decided to adopt them both.
“Jean Ralphio and Mona Lisa are thick as thieves,” McLemore told The Dodo. “Together they are very playful and affectionate. They take turns grooming each other and are often found snuggled up together sleeping. They are never far from each other.”
Jean Ralphio recently injured his hip and had to get surgery. His parents placed him in the shower in the bathroom to ensure that he did not re-injure himself. Mona Lisa was instantly put off by this and lamented the fact that she couldn’t be with her brother.
“She meows through the door and attempts to break in when we keep them separated,” McLemore added. “Since being removed from Jean Ralphio, she’s been a little more needy for hugs with us.”
One day while Jean Ralphio was supposed to be quarantined, his parents suddenly saw him casually hobble past them downstairs, and were confused as to how he’d escaped. They put him back in the shower and monitored the bathroom door — and realized that Mona Lisa had somehow figured out how to open both the bathroom door and the shower, all so that she could get to her brother.
“We knew that she would test closed doors to see if they were latched all the way previous to this, but I didn’t think much of it,” McLemore said. “The fact that she could open up a sliding shower door was a bit more of a surprise — especially that she’d go so far as to do both!”
Despite the difficulty of getting in, Mona Lisa was determined to be with her brother and would go to any length to do so. Of course, she liked breaking in to steal his food and use his litter box, but siblings do it all the time.
Even though they’re still apart now, Jean Ralphio and Mona Lisa will be together again soon. Until then, Mona Lisa will continue to try and break in to see her brother, because that’s what sisters are for.
