Just because a cat is a stray doesn’t mean they don’t know love. Stray cats can still form family bonds, and they often do; how else would they survive on the streets?
On Thursday, May 9th, a pair of cat brother made quite the splash. Not only are they a bonded pair of strays, but they’re some of the cutest cats you might ever see in your life. You have to see it to believe it:
@dallaspetsaliveMeet Mario & Luigi! 🐱🐱 These super sweet brothers were found as strays and taken into DAS when they were just 4 weeks old. Soon after, they were scooped up by an amazing DPA foster who has been showering them with love and taking care of them as they grow big and strong! ❤️ These tiny twins still have a little growing to do before they’ll be ready for adoption, but soon they will be searching for their forever homes! Could it be with you? 🏡💕 💌 Email adopt@dallaspetsalive.org if you’re interested in Mario & Luigi! Kitten season is one of the busiest times of year, and our local shelters are currently overflowing with nursing mama cats and their babies, and orphaned kittens like Mario & Luigi! 🐱🍼 If you’d like to support the kittens in our program, please consider a donation to our Kitten Shower fundraiser on this post. Or, if you’d like to donate supplies, check out the Kitten Shower Wishlist in our bio! 🙏 #dallaspetsalive #whiskerwednesday #kittens #kittenlover #kittensofinstagram #rescuecat #adoptdontshop #dallasanimalrescue #supermario #mariobros
Dallas Pets Alive! is so kind to share these brothers with us. I hope Mario and Luigi get adopted soon!
Related: Cat Dad’s Bond With Kitten ‘He Didn’t Want’ Is Beyond Pure
Mario and Luigi were found as strays when they were 4 weeks old with no mother, father, or other siblings in sight. According to the TikTok, they’re currently living it up in a sweet foster home, but as the name suggests, it’s not forever. These two will need to be adopted out together, and they’re very young, so they’ll need a lot of training and a lot of grace!
As of Friday morning, these two are not present on the Dallas Pets Alive! adoptable cats page, because DPA says they still have some “growing to do” before they can be adopted out. Typically, cats are not adopted or sold to their forever homes until at least 8 weeks of age. If Mario and Luigi have any medical conditions like worms, parasites, fleas, etc., they’ll finish undergoing treatment for that before being adopted.
Though they’re not ready yet, if you live in the DFW area and these little guys are positively clutching your heart, you can still apply for adoption by sending an email to the address listed in the caption. Look at these cuties – I’m sure they’re already overflowing with emails!
Why adopting bonded pairs is crucial
One stipulation of adopting the Mario Bros. will be that they need to be adopted out together and cannot be separated. Their reasoning is clear: these two have been together since birth. They were all they had, and that created an amazing bond between them.
If a shelter is marketing two animals as a bonded pair, it’s for good reason. If they get split up, the animals may become stressed, aggressive, or anxious. It can be detrimental to their health overall; as they grieve, they may stop eating, drinking, or exercising. It’s just not worth the risk, especially when you know someone out there will take both. Thank goodness for social media’s ability to make every animal a star!
Believe me, shelters are aware that requiring two animals to be adopted together can hurt their chances of being adopted. Whenever possible, it’s avoided for everyone’s benefit. So, when they go with it, you know it’s necessary. I know I’ll be keeping an eye on Mario and Luigi!
