Whiskers at a Distance

It was a difficult beginning. From what we’ve been able to piece together…

Wallace (now about 11), Totti (around 8), and Grommet (the youngest of the three) were likely born into a severe hoarding situation. Somehow, amid the chaos, they found one another and became a family.

Authorities in northwestern Connecticut were eventually alerted to a single-family home where a large family lived alongside more than 150 cats, four dogs, and a ferret.

Once the authorities intervened, the animals were rescued and temporarily housed in cages inside an unused school gymnasium for five weeks. Animals were examined by veterinarians, and the daunting task of finding shelters willing to take in so many cats began.

When officials returned to the property before the house was demolished, they made one more heartbreaking discovery. Sounds coming from the walls and attic revealed that the house was not empty after all. More animals were still trapped inside.

It was then that Wallace, Totti, and Grommet were found. Rescued, they were moved to the gymnasium staging area, and a new chapter in their lives began.

It was shortly after that their fairy godmother stepped in.

Together, the three cats were taken in by an extraordinary animal sanctuary. For the first time, they were safe. They received excellent medical care, nutritious food, and something they may never have known before—kindness and patience.

At the sanctuary, they were able to remain together in their own room, complete with all the comforts a cat could want. More importantly, they were surrounded by compassionate people who cared deeply about their health, happiness, and emotional well-being.

Sadly, Grommet was very ill and, despite everyone’s efforts, did not survive.

Wallace and Totti, however, continued their journey. Day by day, they began learning what it meant to feel safe, to be cared for, and—very slowly—to trust people.

Through every step of that journey, they have always had each other.

And now, they have us.