Many of the animals that come to Helen Woodward Animal Center have a tragic first chapter to their lives. Rufus and Bear suffered through a tragic second chapter.
Rufus had been a kitten in our care with special medical needs two years ago. We gave him the medical care he needed and it didn’t take long for him to find his forever family. I mean c’mon, look
at him
Shortly after adopting Rufus, his family wanted to get him a sibling; so they adopted Bear from another rescue.
2025 went swimmingly for the cat brothers. They settled in wonderfully to their new home, they got along great with each other, and their pet parents really loved them.
The tragedy begins at the start of 2026.
Rufus and Bear’s owners welcomed a child into the world. They were expecting their kid to grow up with the boys and they would all be a happy family for years to come. But they soon learned, their newborn was born deadly allergic to cats. The parents did everything they could to keep the boys homed, but nothing seemed to work. After several weeks of trying to keep the family together, they made the difficult decision to give up their cats.
Helen Woodward Animal Center took Rufus and Bear in and gave them a temporary home. For months, they sat front and center in the cattery watching as potential adopters took home younger kittens. Adult cats have a tough time in the shelter.
But then, in late July, a family from Alpine came to the Center and fell in love with spunky boys. They knew they were the newest additions to their family and so they took them home that day.
Since then, Rufus — now Weeble, and Bear — now Spud, have made themselves home with their new family. Bear has become quite the cat burglar, stealing treats and even his new dad’s lunch! Rufus is a bit more reserved and often finds himself getting “stuck” in strange places and demanding treats to leave. Both boys love belly rubs and their new family is both loving — and spoiling — them very much.
