Katie Duda was grieving the unexpected death of her cat Lucky when she came across a photo of two kittens in need of a home at Wrenn Rescues. Duda could see River and his sibling were exceptional when she picked them up from their foster family.
“I thought I saw a big heart on his chest when I picked them up from the foster home,” Duda told The Dodo. “I didn’t even play with them or look at them closely.” Wrenn Rescues has my trust.”
River was bashful and wanted to hide at home, so Duda gave him a warm area with all the space he needed. Duda began to notice more heart-shaped markings on River’s coat as he became more at ease with his new family.
“I confirmed [one] on his chest, noted his nose was more heart-shaped than most cats, then under his paws, chin, and other places,” Duda explained. “So far, we’ve discovered seven entire hearts and two areas that resemble hearts at moments.”
River’s fur has always had hearts on it, but for Duda, they’re also a symbol that she made the right decision.
“My first reaction was that River’s hearts were Lucky’s way of showing us how much he loved us,” Duda explained. “While River’s hearts aren’t a physical communication to my family, the love they offer is extremely palpable.”
