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By Liz O'Connell
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A cat's nonstop crying after being brought home to a foster home helped the woman realize there was a meaning behind the meows—save her kitty brother.
When Vivian Powers went to foster a new kitten, she was pulled in by a cat's grouchy face. The feline, named Sissy, seemed fearful, and Powers hoped she could give her the attention she needed before getting adopted. She fosters animals who need one-on-one time to feel safe.
"My husband has a one foster at a time rule, and so I chose the most-fearful kitten to work with," Powers told Newsweek via email.
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However, she said she quickly learned that Sissy wouldn't stop crying for 48 hours straight. The terrified cat hid, unable to unwind. The only time she noticed Sissy not crying was when she played a cat video. Sissy fell silent, poking her head out at the meows. "That's when I knew she was a cat's cat," Powers said.
She took another trip to the animal shelter in Germany to bring home a friend for Sissy. Her brother, Toto, was still in the shelter where they had been brought in four months earlier. Powers learned he was diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis [FIP], a serious and often-fatal virus caused by a mutation of the feline coronavirus.
Heartbroken, Powers immediately stepped in to foster Toto. She couldn't stand the thought of him dying in the shelter. She said a local woman offered to donate the medication only if she committed to keeping Toto through the full treatment. Powers happily accepted.
"Sissy was very happy to see Toto when I brought him home," Powers said. "She was hiding on top of the bathroom cabinet, so I held Toto and showed him to her."
Her July 5 TikTok video, posted to the account @pawsitiveinfluenc, shared Sissy's immediate transformation after Powers brought home her brother. From being scared and hiding, to coming out of her shell, Sissy used her cries to help get her brother back.
Powers wrote on the video, "She was trying to tell me something," which ultimately led to saving Toto's life.
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However, because of Toto's sickness, Powers said these kittens had different foster experiences. Toto barely moved due to his low energy. His treatment was "long and intense," lasting a total of 84 days.
"What was really funny is that the moment he saw my dog, he ran for him and completely ignored Sissy," she said. "It was a love triangle."
Another cat in the house, thankfully, helped Sissy come out of her shell. She understood her brother needed time to heal, which allowed her to gain independence. She played by herself, and watched TV with Powers and her husband. Her grouchy face softened.
Now, both Sissy and Toto are with their forever families, making Powers feel that her role as a foster parent had been "fulfilled."
Her dog's therapist ended up adopting Toto after helping him when Powers reached out for advice to relieve some of his discomfort. The therapist fell in love with Toto. Unfortunately, the male cat relapsed and was diagnosed with neurological FIP. Powers said he is on day 37 of 84 in his second round of treatment.
"It was never about them being bonded; it was about how [Sissy] saved his life," Powers said. "She absolutely gets credit for it because I would have never gone to the shelter if it wasn't for her crying nonstop."
Viewer Reactions
Touched by the power of sibling love, the TikTok video reached over 3.6 million views and more than 613,000 likes as of Monday.
"Her facial features literally changed, thank you," wrote one person.
Another added: "Sobbing. They needed each other."
A third user commented: "You can tell she was MAD. So cute she wanted her brother to be with her."
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