While she was mourning the loss of her cat, Lucky, Katie Duda happened to come across a photo of two shelter kittens at Wrenn Rescues needing a home. After deciding that that home would be with her Katie picked the bonded pair up she could tell they were special right away. Especially one of the brothers, River, there was something very special about him.
“I thought I noticed a big heart on his chest when I picked them up from the foster home, but I wasn’t sure,” Duda told The Dodo. “I really didn’t even play with them or look closely. I put my faith in Wrenn Rescues.”
Shy in their new surroundings, River and his brother Remi wanted to hide, so Katie gave them both all the room they needed, and over time they both became more comfortable in their new surroundings. The more that River relaxed the more that Katie noticed in his appearance, seeing more and more heart-shaped patches on his coat.
“I confirmed [one on] his chest, noticed his nose was more heart-shaped than most cats, then under his paws, chin, and more,” Duda said. “To date, we’ve found seven complete hearts and two spots that look heartish at times.”
Not only is the kitten covered in hearts, but he’s also full of love. “River is an old soul,” Duda said. “He’s calm, attentive, and loving. My children have been able to gently grieve and heal with River and Remi by their side.”
“I expected the kittens to bring us joy, but truly they’ve brought us peace,” she added. “River, covered in hearts, is mending broken hearts.”
River loves spending time with his new family he has not forgotten his brother and keeps watching out for him.
“River is almost twice the size of Remi and acts as his guardian,” Duda said. “Yesterday, Remi wanted to sit in a large potted plant in our dining room. I had put foil in the pot to discourage the kittens from playing with the dirt and Remi was displeased. I watched River kindly remove the foil for Remi so he could lay in the dirt.”
The hearts on River’s fur have always been there, but for Duda, they’re also a sign that she made the right choice.
“My first thought was that River’s hearts are Lucky’s way of making sure we know how much he loves us,” Duda said. “River’s hearts may not be a literal message to my family, but the love they bring is very real.”To learn more about River and his brother Remi, you can follow them on Instagram.
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