Everyone needs a little help from a friend sometimes – even cats! And one bonded pair of boys has shown us that a helping hand (or paw) can go a long way.
Blinkin and Obi are two sweet boys who were brought into the Yarmouth SPCA shelter together as strays. Blinkin is a cat with no eyes, and it was clear to staff that Obi (first called Marty) had been caring for Blinkin and acting as his ‘seeing eye cat’ while they were strays. “Obi even escaped his cage at the shelter once, but he waited for Blinkin,” says Angela MacAdam, the boys’ loving owner.
“When I saw a video of the boys on the Nova Scotia SPCA Facebook page, I was instantly sold – those were my boys. Blinkin, with his curious personality, and Obi, with those big sad eyes, were impossible not to fall in love with at first sight,” says Angela.
When Angela first welcomed Obi and Blinkin into their new home, the boys were timid. Obi was especially frightened to be in a new space, and while he often hid around the apartment, he always kept a clear line of sight on Blinkin. “If Blinkin went to the kitchen, so did Obi, just at a distance, maybe hiding behind something on the floor,” says Angela. “After some time and a lot of Ziggy’s precooked chicken, Obi came out of his shell and the pair would explore together, with Obi always keeping Blinkin in his sight. If I had to bathe Blinkin, Obi would wait by the bathroom door, even though he’s very afraid of the tub.”
Since then, Obi has gone from a timid cat to a cuddly boy who loves affection. Angela still remembers the first time he jumped onto the bed with them. “He was always hiding from us and used the nighttime to explore when we were sleeping, so when he decided to come and sit on the edge of our bed it was a special moment. Now you can’t get him off our laps. He’s done a 180 and become such a cuddle bug,” she says.
And thanks to the help of his best friend, Blinkin quickly adjusted to life in his new home and became more confident navigating the layout of the apartment. At first, Angela says that Obi stayed on standby to make sure Blinkin wasn’t getting into too much mischief. But now, Obi has passed off his role as Blinkin’s seeing eye cat to Angela.
“Sometimes I even catch Obi sitting on the table and reaching down to tap Blinkin and then retreating quietly to the middle of the table where Blinkin can’t find him,” she says. “Classic brothers!”
Since their adoption, Obi and Blinkin have filled Angela’s home with so much love and laughter. “Blinkin has a very funny thing he still does to this day where he gets ready to pounce on a toy, or on his brother, but he’s way off base on where his target is located. So, he’ll get all riled up doing a butt wiggle and run directly into the couch or just jump two inches to the left on absolutely nothing,” Angela laughs.
“People should give disabled animals a chance, because they have the same amount of love to give as non-disabled animals,” says Angela.
While Blinkin still faces challenges every day because of his special needs, Obi is there looking out for him (or teasing him). The boys have been blessed with a warm home, a loving family and a best friend for life.
