“From the moment she arrived, she cried nonstop.”
From Tears to Triumph: A Kitten’s Cry Leads to a Life-Saving Reunion
Last year in Germany, Vivian Powers opened her home to a tiny foster kitten named Sissy. The smallest and most timid of her litter, Sissy had caught Powers’ eye at the shelter. Powers hoped that time in a calm home environment would help the fearful kitten relax and come out of her shell.
But when Sissy arrived, it was clear something was wrong.
“From the moment she arrived, she cried nonstop,” Powers told The Dodo. “Nothing I did helped.”
Powers tried everything—gentle cuddles, soothing words, even special treats—but Sissy remained inconsolable. Then, in a moment of desperation, Powers played a video of cats meowing.
“Suddenly, she stopped crying,” Powers recalled. “She poked her head out, alert and curious. That’s when I realized she’s a cat’s cat. She needed a friend.”
Trusting her instinct, Powers returned to the shelter to reunite Sissy with one of her siblings—and what she discovered there changed everything.
Sissy’s brother, Toto, had fallen gravely ill with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a once-incurable disease caused by a mutation of feline coronavirus. Powers had lost a previous foster cat, Mowgli, to the same illness. She was devastated—but determined.
“If not for Sissy’s crying, I never would’ve gone back to the shelter,” Powers said.
With shelters in Germany unable to administer the newly developed FIP treatment, Toto’s future looked bleak—until a kind stranger, moved by his story, offered to donate the life-saving medication if Powers would take him in.
She didn’t hesitate.
As Toto began treatment, his condition improved slightly—but it wasn’t enough. Desperate to help, Powers turned to her dog’s physical therapist. Through massage and laser therapy, they were able to drain the fluid buildup in his body—giving him a real shot at survival.
During their sessions, something unexpected happened: the physical therapist and Toto formed a deep, undeniable bond. Moved by his resilience, she chose to adopt him and see his treatment journey through.
“She knew he was sick and she loved him anyway,” Powers said. “It’s such a beautiful relationship.”
Meanwhile, Sissy—no longer lonely—was flourishing. With her brother’s calming presence, she began to open up, learning to trust and play. Eventually, she was adopted into a loving forever home, where she instantly bonded with her new feline sister, Iska.
“What was really beautiful about this journey is that while Sissy brought Toto into my life, they each followed their own unique path in foster care,” Powers reflected.
Now, both siblings are thriving. Toto, once at death’s door, is full of energy, joy, and life.
“It began with playing with his favorite spiral toys,” Powers said. “Then came the meowing, and now he’s full of zoomies.”
A kitten’s cry for connection ended up saving two lives — and creating two new families in the process.