These two adorable and unique kitties are the definition of the ying and the yang.

After a rough start at life, we never thought that Charlie, a blind special needs kitty, would find his purr-fect partner in the scaredy cat Lewis.

Yet, these brave boys surprised us all when they formed a life-long bond in foster care.

After losing his brother, Charlie yearned for another feline friend to lean on

In June 2018, Charlie and his younger brother were surrendered to RSPCA South Australia’s Whyalla branch, then brought to our Lonsdale shelter together.

Completely blind from birth, Charlie relied heavily on his younger brother to guide him through his early months of life. The pair were inseparable.

Sadly the difficult times were not over for the darling ginger boy. We discovered that Charlie’s brother was suffering from a bad heart which, combined with untreatable medical issues, meant that the only option for him was to be humanely euthanased.

Charlie was completely devastated.

At first, he did not cope well without his younger brother by his side. He was so unsettled and scared that he would often spin around in circles, heartbroken at his loss.

But – despite everything he had been through, Charlie never let his situation darken his spirit.

The quest begins to find a friend for Charlie

Our shelter team decided that the perfect medicine for darling Charlie’s anxiety was a new best friend, and so the search began for a kitty companion to give him some much needed company.

Fur-tunately for Charlie, Lewis fit the bill perfectly.

Lewis had recently come into our care after being surrendered from his home in Whyalla. The darling black and white kitty, with cute little white socks and a white flash on his nose, was a very shy and timid boy.

Traumatised from his early months of life, poor Lewis was always tense around other animals, often hiding away and avoiding company.

Incredibly, the odd couple Charlie and Lewis totally hit it off, albeit after a few initial hisses and a bit of curious hesitation!

A fitting foster home for the dynamic duo

We were overjoyed when one of our beautiful volunteers, Gayle, agreed to take the new pals under her wing in foster care. The furry boys were lucky to have an amazing home to bond in.

Gayle was extremely patient with the partners in crime and their unique personalities.

Crucially, she spent lots of time getting to know them, and letting them get to know each other. Gayle noticed an amazing improvement in Charlie and Lewis’ behaviour in the two and a half months that they stayed with her.

“Little Charlie was spinning around like a spinning top when I first brought them home, but after a while he had settled in, “she tells us.

“Poor Lewis was a little scared of Charlie’s spinning, but he became braver as the spinning started happening less and less.”

It soon became clear that all Charlie needed was time, patience – and a close friend.

“Charlie seemed to adapt well to everything. I would throw a ball and he would find it, as long as he could hear it,” smiles Gayle.

“Sweet Lewis would even help Charlie play and find the ball, but he would never take it from Charlie. It was so sweet to watch them play together.”

Within weeks the pair were joined at the hip. Wherever one was, the other was always close behind.

‘I simply could not let them be separated’

It only took a few months in foster care before the two furballs were ready for adoption.

Sharee, who had heard about the dynamic duo, went to visit them at Gayle’s house. The two kitties won her heart over immediately.

Gayle knew that Sharee was destined to become the two kitties’ new mother. The dedicated foster carer recalls how Charlie marched right up to Sharee and snuggled into her hair. Even Lewis, who had never been a lap-cat and had always avoided new people, jumped up and sat behind Sharee.

Despite only wanting to adopt one cat, within hours Sharee formally adopted both Charlie and Lewis and welcomed them into her loving home.

“I already had two girl cats, Amelia and Lena who were also adopted from RSPCA South Australia,” Sharee tells us.

“I was reluctant at first to adopt another two cats, but once I saw how closely bonded Charlie and Lewis were, I simply could not let them be separated.”

There was something truly special about the bond between the two feline friends.

“It was clear to me how perfect they were together,” smiles Sharee. “They are a perfect pair.”

“After bringing Charlie and Lewis home, the boys were loving life and enjoying the company of their sisters. It did not take long for all four cats to become the best of friends.”

A fur-ever family for a purr-fect pair

Since welcoming Charlie and Lewis with loving arms, Sharee couldn’t be happier with the additions to her family.

“They are my two baby boys, they are very sweet,” she smiles.

And since settling into a forever home, both boys have come a long way.

“Charlie is familiar with our house now and knows his way around. Every now and then he might get lost, but the other three will quickly come and find him and help him,” Sharee says.

Even though Charlie was always the one with special needs, this dynamic duo’s bond has been hugely beneficial for Lewis too.

“Lewis has also blossomed in his new home, and is getting more confident by the day. He now enjoys being picked up and cuddled by me and is showing more and more affection.”

The partners in crime seem to balance each other out, like the ying and the yang.

A truly happy ending for two shy kitties, just waiting to find their paw-tner in crime.

And Charlie’s anxious spinning has stopped for good.

Two is always better than one, isn’t it!? If you have a lot of love to share, why not consider adopting a bonded pair of feline friends. Head over here to find out more about opening your heart and home to a rescued animal.

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