Meet Gretel and her brother, Hansel.

These cat siblings were recently rescued from a very unfortunate situation. They were hungry stray kitties living behind a grocery store dumpster, trying their best to live off scraps of food.

Someone cruel purposely sprayed them in the face with poisonous chemicals in an attempt to hurt them. Witnesses said Gretel got in front of her brother and blocked the chemicals with her body so he wouldn’t get hurt. Gretel bravely took the brunt of the injury trying to protect her brother.

A good Samaritan took the cats to a local shelter who then called Sarah Richardson of Community Cats of Central Arkansas for help. Sarah, an experienced critical-care cat rescuer, welcomed Hansel and Gretel into her home with open arms.

“My heart breaks for these two, but I’m glad we have them here now,” said Sarah.

Gretel has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but Sarah is determined to see her thrive. Now that the worst is behind the, Hansel and Gretel can finally feel safe knowing they’re in good hands. “We want them to receive lots of wet food, treats, medicine and endless love,” said Sarah. Hansel and Gretel were understandably timid at first, but all of their fear soon melted away.

“They were acting a bit feral when they were first rescued, but now they’re the most loving cats in our care.” Gretel in particular has made amazing progress with her emotional recovery. Despite the cruelty Gretel experienced, she still loves and trusts humans unconditionally.

“She is the most precious cat we’re fostering right now,” said Sarah.

Gretel loves attention and shows how grateful she is with gentle nudges and kisses. She is very protective of her brother, Hansel, and he is very protective of her. In fact, this brother and sister duo are inseparable.

They take care of each other and rely on one another for comfort.

“It’s incredible how much they love each other. When the time comes, they’ll be adopted out as a bonded pair,” said Sarah.

“Cats like her are the reason we rescue,” said Sarah. “She deserves a second chance, and we’re going to make sure she gets it.” Gretel is our sponsored cat of the month for our Meow Mail program.