Two bonded kittens made a woman's wish come true this Christmas after she lost her cat of 20 years.
Peppy (Peppermint Patty) and Kringle were part of a litter of six kittens that came to IndyHumane for a chance at a better life. They were around four weeks old and shared a very close bond.
"Peppy is for sure one of the most unique looking kittens I've ever fostered. From her beautiful coloring to her grey-blue eyes, not to mention her pink nose and black lips, giving her the appearance of a tiny mouth," Jennifer, the foster mom, shared with Love Meow.
"Kringle is a happy and playful kitten, but always the first to wind down. He gets along well with all of the kittens."
While the brother and sister were having the time of their lives in their foster home, Dr. Taylor Smith, a veterinarian at IndyHumane, was on the lookout for a new cat for her cousin.
"My cousin lost her 20-year-old cat in late October and had been missing having a cat in her house," Dr. Smith shared with Love Meow.
Dr. Smith began sending pictures of kitties to her cousin in hopes she would fall in love with them. When her cousin saw Peppy and learned that the kitten had a bonded brother, Kringle, she fell head over heels for them, and was convinced that the two needed a home together.
Around that time, Dr. Smith received a separate message from her cousin's husband—he had the same kittens in mind and a plan for his beloved wife. "He said that he wanted to surprise her around Christmas time."
A plan was then set in motion, and whenever Dr. Smith's cousin mentioned the pair of kittens to her husband, he would cheekily say "no" and avert the conversation.
"My cousin would message me every day and kept saying 'we gotta convince the husband,' all the while he was messaging me and having me arrange the adoption and getting supplies," Dr. Smith shared with Love Meow.
The cousin continued to tell her husband about the kittens in an effort to persuade him, but little did she know that he was working behind the scenes to surprise her with the pair. He said to her, they'd talk about it on Christmas Eve.
When Peppy and Kringle came back from spay/neuter surgery, the husband coordinated with Dr. Smith and brought the pair in to his house the day before the Eve.
Dr. Smith set the kittens on the couch and anxiously waited for her cousin to arrive home. As her cousin entered the room, she was stunned and couldn't believe what she saw.
At first, she thought the kittens were there just for a visit, and was wondering how her husband would react. That's when they revealed the long-awaited surprise.
"She cried when I finally told her that her husband had already adopted them. It was super cute," Dr. Smith shared with Love Meow. "It was kind of difficult to keep the secret for so long but worth it since she had no clue."
When the cousin held the kittens in her arms, she was overjoyed with emotions, as if the missing piece in her heart was finally filled.
The kittens, Peppy and Kringle (now Steiner), are thriving in their forever home, and so loved and spoiled by their humans.
Not only did the feline siblings have their dream come true this Christmas, but they went on and fulfilled their mom's wish, too.
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