Xeno and Ripley share everything: they sleep, eat, play, and are currently rearing their eight kittens together.
“They’re inseparable sisters,” Sarah MacLeod, a volunteer at the Exploits Valley SPCA, told The Dodo.
The young moms arrived at Exploits Valley SPCA in late September. Both cats were under a year old and only weighed about 4 pounds when they were rescued and transported to the shelter by volunteers with Boyd’s Cove TNR Project.
The co-parenting mamas moved into a spacious room with plenty of toys and cozy bedding to keep them comfortable, and now the little family is thriving.
The moms know that raising a family this big is a two-cat job.
“Their babies needed a few extra weeks to grow, so we’ve had them in a room to themselves and have been constantly entertained by them,” MacLeod said. “They share the kittens completely — one minute all eight could be nursing from either mom.”
The two litters are so bonded that there’s no way to tell which kitten belongs to which mom, and that’s just the way Xeno and Ripley like it.
When the mama cats aren’t busy caring for their rambunctious kittens, they can be found standing side by side, looking out the window of their room, hoping a potential adopter walks by.
“They enjoy seeing down the hallway through the glass door,” MacLeod added. “They adore attention and people!”
A couple of the kittens have families who are eager to adopt them, but neither mother has received a single application.
The shelter hopes to find Xeno and Ripley a loving family who’ll open their hearts and home to both mamas.
It’s clear to everyone in the shelter that these cats are bonded for life and ready to give all their love and snuggles to their forever family.
