Wynken and Blynken were a brother-sister pair that was part of a larger litter of kittens. The person that previously owned them was able to adopt all the kittens in the litter except for Wynken and Blynken. The pair was then surrendered to a local municipal shelter due to having a difficult time adopting them and could no longer care for them. At the shelter, the animal control officer realized these two young kittens were quite under-socialized and fearful of people, which might explain why it was hard to find a home for them. Knowing they needed more intensive care and a quiet environment, the officer reached out to Our Companions about Sanctuary placement. We welcomed brother Wynken and sister Blynken to our Sanctuary in September of 2023 at around 4 months old.
Wynken and Blynken took their time to get comfortable with their new environment, but appreciated all the comfy hiding spots and high vertical places to perch and enjoy. It was a huge plus that they had each other to go through this journey together. Staff made sure to give them the space and respect they needed to decompress and to feel safe in this new space. As they started to get more comfortable with their room, staff started to slowly engage in play time with the two kittens. Play time was a great way to create a positive, fun interaction with the two, while also respecting their space. Though they would get startled with quick movements or unknown noises, Wynken and Blynken would recover quickly and continue their game of play with friends!
As time went on, Wynken started becoming the outgoing one of the two, while Blynken usually watched her brother first before taking a leap of faith to swat at the toy or get closer to people. Wynken started to even rub on legs and become curious about what his human friends were doing in the cottage! To further their socialization journey, staff and volunteers utilized yummy food to associate themselves with good stuff! Whether the team did clicked training with the two and rewarded them with delicious treats, or carefully holding a lickimat with canned food for Wynken and Blynken to eat and enjoy, the pair was making slow progress each day! They started to get more curious, approach people more, and you could see their confidence growing! Another big contributing factor to their growth was allowing the pair to have a larger space to explore outside of their room by using an x-pen from the entrance of their room to the hallway. Not only did this give them more room to play, but also gave them the opportunity to be exposed to more people within the cottage while still feeling safe and their space respected. Their confidence and curiosity continued to grow and it was so amazing to see them overcome their anxieties and fear, and simply be kittens and have fun!
A volunteer that was seeking to adopt wanted a special bonded pair that needed a loving home to thrive. She was aware of Wynken and Blynken’s story and was hoping that they would be a good match for her family and home. She visited them during her volunteer shifts to learn more about them, to work on their socialization training, and to start the bonding process. Both her and her husband were patient and kind, exactly what the pair needed!
We knew there would be some setbacks transitioning to another new place, but Wynken and Blynken had the newfound skills and confidence to take on this next chapter! Wynken was renamed to William and Blynken now Sasha, we stayed in close contact with their adopters to make sure they were settling in and doing well. After some decompression time and patience, it wasn’t long before William and Sasha claimed their home as their own and began bonding with their mom and dad! For their two month update, they showed signs of feeling safe in their home and curious of their family:
“They are doing great! They now roam freely throughout the house and are showing us their quirky personalities more and more. They love playtime, hunting bugs, and watching the birds from the windows. They mostly maintain their distance, but they like to be in the same space as we are and will follow me from room to room. They each have their favorite napping spots around the house, but every night around 9pm they’ll do a lap of the house together then put themselves to bed in their sanctuary room, it’s so cute. Every day I’m so happy they are here with us and grateful to everyone who cared for them at Our Companions.”
And only after a couple more months, William and Sasha continued to grow:
“I realized the other day we’ve had William and Sasha for six months and I’m excited to share how well they’ve adjusted. Will has become a friendly little ham who loves pets and meows and chirps at us when he wants attention. Sasha’s progress is more subtle but she’s showing us a really goofy playful side of her personality. She still darts away if you reach a hand out or walk toward her, but at night she’s been coming onto our bed and curling up against one of our legs. The two of them play together a lot and are often found cuddled up together, I love that they are best friends. They’ve brought such a nice energy into our home. When I think about the two of them watching everything from their hallway at OC, and I feel so lucky and grateful that I got to bring them home.”
We are so grateful to have been a stepping-stone for William and Sasha on their journey towards happiness and fulfillment. And we are incredibly thankful they have found their people; a family that gave them the opportunity to flourish more than we could have ever hoped for! We wish the happy family continued love, lots of laughs, and beautiful memories together!
