Pepito is So Happy to “See” Us!
We first met Pepito, a blind cat, four years ago when visiting our son and his girlfriend in Kanab, Utah. Both Craig and Carrie worked at Best Friend’s Animal Sanctuary, the largest no-kill sanctuary in the United States. Craig and Carrie have numerous dogs and cats. Pepito captured our hearts. When we walked by him sitting on his scratching post, Pepito put his front paws on our cheeks, and pulled us towards him! I asked Carrie to tell me how she came to get Pepito. She enthusiastically told me all about Pepito’s rescue. This led me to write a book about his life. At that time, Pepito was diagnosed with cancer, and it was thought that he would live for two or three months. Chemo started. Three years later, here we are visiting with Craig, Carrie, and Pepito again, in their new home near Austin, Texas. Pepito adjusted easily to his new home. We know he’s happy to see us, as he made our suitcase his new bed, and he’s been purring up a storm!
Carrie Rescues a Blind Cat
Pepito was found on a rainy night. He was running around a parking lot at an apartment complex. The people that found him brought him inside. His eyes were crusty. When they washed his face, they discovered that he had no eyes. They called the vet. The vet found that Pepito had a cold and was indeed blind. The vet had an employee, Carrie, who had adopted two black and white cats. She thought Carrie would like this cat too. When called, Carrie came immediately!
Pepito, a Blind Cat, Goes to His New Home
After introducing Pepito to her other cats, Dimitry and Zazu, Carrie “showed” him around the house. Pepito, like other blind cats, has a keen sense of hearing and smell. Carrie talked to him, and Pepito followed her voice until he could smell his food. The same technique was used to introduce him to his litter box. Both of these things are kept in the same place, so they are easy for Pepito to find. He was given toys to play with that had bells inside of them, so he could follow their sound.
How a Cat Uses Its Whiskers
All cats use their whiskers to help them sense the world around them. Whiskers are especially important to a blind cat, like Pepito. These specialized hairs help a cat to navigate its environment. They work kind of like antennae on insects. This excerpt from the book, Pepito’s Whiskers, shows just how important their whiskers are.
Book Review
Our book received a five-star review from Readers’ Favorite!
“… The illustrations by Laiken Hall breathe life into the story and the characters and make them real to readers. It is a story about love, kindness, and compassion, and, being a true story, it will be easy for readers to connect with it. The ‘Did you know…’ section at the end of the book is informative for readers to learn more about cats and kittens. It is a lovely book to have in homes, especially if there are kids who are animal lovers, and it can be used in classrooms for storytelling sessions to help children understand how important it is to be kind, loving, and compassionate towards animals.”
If you are interested in the book, click the photo below to see the book on Amazon. You can also find it as an e-reader in our TpT shop.
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