Wheatie, a black cat with bright yellow eyes, doesn’t like strangers or other animals. But she adores her sister Zelda, who is blind.
As Zelda moves around the hallway, Wheatie stays close, rubbing against her legs. When they lounge on the couch, Wheatie curls up next to Zelda, asking for pets. At night, the two share a pillow, sleeping peacefully side by side.
“When I was pregnant with Zelda, I was really worried about Wheatie,” said Alexis Wiggins, their owner. Wheatie was 4 years old and had lived with the family for two and a half years. She was their youngest and most unpredictable pet.
Surprisingly, Wheatie bonded with baby Zelda right away. “When we brought Zelda home, Wheatie was the only animal who stayed near her,” Wiggins said. As Zelda grew and started to explore, Wheatie didn’t run away. Instead, she lay calmly next to Zelda while the toddler gently touched her. Wheatie showed no fear.
Wheatie is much more patient with Zelda than the rest of the family. She carefully tries to get Zelda’s attention and even leads her to certain places. It seems Wheatie senses that Zelda is different.
When Zelda was five weeks old, her parents noticed her eyes were red and swollen. A doctor first blamed allergies, but after seeing an eye specialist, they were told Zelda might have eye cancer. Later, Zelda was diagnosed with chronic bilateral detached retinas. She is blind.
“It was hard to learn that our child is blind,” Wiggins said. “But it felt like a blessing compared to fearing she might die from cancer.”
It’s unclear if Wheatie fully understands Zelda’s blindness, but it doesn’t matter. The two are inseparable. Wheatie stays close, rubbing Zelda’s cheeks and bumping her head into the toddler. Zelda giggles and reaches out excitedly whenever she hears Wheatie nearby.
At night, Zelda gets fussy if Wheatie isn’t in the room yet. “She wonders, ‘Where’s my buddy? Where’s my sleeping pal?’” Wiggins said. Soon, Zelda will get her first mobility cane. Wiggins joked about Wheatie becoming her “seeing-eye cat.”
Whether or not Wheatie takes on that role, the pair simply enjoy being together. “My favorite moments are when they’re in the room bonding, unaware I’m watching,” Wiggins said. “They’re two young creatures full of love.”
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