"Unicorn" male calico kitten gets adopted in Colorado — with new pal
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
From left: The rare calico kitty — now named Gumbo — and his foster brother, Beignet. Photo: Courtesy of Kate Crandall
An "extremely rare" male calico kitten that showed up at a Loveland shelter in April, made national news and drew in hundreds of interested adopters found his fur-ever home.
Why he matters: Calico cats are almost always female, so the odds of coming across a male kitten — and one born in Colorado, to top it off — are super slim.
Driving the news: Denver resident Kate Crandall — whose 13-year-old female calico cat, Rocky, died suddenly in December — was recently selected by foster-focused rescue NoCo Kitties as Gumbo's lucky adopter.
- Crandall tells us she loves calicos but wanted her next cat to be male (another female cat would have been too painful), so she had settled on finding an orange kitten by the end of the year.
- Then came her "unicorn."
Yes, but: There was a catch. While at NoCo Kitties, Gumbo (Bo) became "best friends" with his foster brother Beignet (Benny). And they couldn't be adopted separately.
What she's saying: After the shelter sent a photo of the two embracing in a hug, "I was literally like, 'Yeah, OK, done. Duh.' And I immediately sent in all caps: 'OF COURSE,'" she told us.
- The boys "cuddle all the time and wrestle, and are just so amazing together," she said.
The intrigue: Crandall hadn't met the kittens before adopting them. "It was just seeing a picture, trusting the process, and knowing that if it was meant to be it would be," she said.
Of note: The shelter received bids for thousands of dollars from across the world but ultimately limited applications to state residents, putting preference on the best home over the top offer, the Coloradoan reports.
What sealed the deal: Shelter staff interviewed Crandall's veterinarian and learned she had been having continued conversations about how, if at all, she could have improved care for her previous cat Rocky.
- During a house visit, Crandall also connected — and cried — with the rescue's founder over Rocky's loss and their shared love of animals. (Crandall has a shrine dedicated to Rocky in her kitchen.)
What's next: Bo and Benny have big plans to become Colorado "adventure cats." Right now, they're visiting coffee shops in their carriers to get acclimated to people, and working on leash training at home.
- Follow their adventures on Instagram.