After A Three Year Separation A Cat Reunites With His Twin Brother

Three years ago, an elderly male cat was discovered alone in a Connecticut parking lot.

He was severely malnourished, and his front right paw was infected. The cat’s whereabouts were discovered thanks to an anonymous tip to Noah’s Ark Animal Hospital.

“When we brought him in, he weighed around 7 pounds,” Rachel Keyes, a Noah’s Ark helper, told The Dodo. “We did a comprehensive exam on him and helped him get back to health by doing a series of tests on him.” He was anemic and had stage 2 renal disease, among other things, according to medical personnel.

The hospital team named the cat Billy and were immensely devoted to him as they fought to bring him back to health.

That’s how Billy ended up at Noah’s Ark, where he now serves as the hospital’s feline mascot.

“Billy had complete control of the hospital,” Keyes explained. “He merely wandered about aimlessly, settling eventually at the front desk in the reception area. Clients would greet Billy whenever they walked in, and Billy would greet them warmly in return.”

Billy, now 16 years old and a healthy 13 pounds, developed into a placid, loving office cat under the cautious attention of medical workers. Keyes explained that he was simply a member of the family. “Shaking hands” with the receptionists was one of his favorite activities.

However, Billy and Noah’s Ark received an unexpected surprise towards the end of last month.

The hospital received a new customer, a father and daughter. Billy’s father remarked as he went by that the cat looked eerily similar to the one their family had lost years before. Batuffolo, or Tuffo for short, was his name. As the guy and his daughter resumed their conversation with the receptionist, Billy did something unexpected.

“Billy recognized them and jumped to the very top of the counter, which is something he doesn’t often do,” Keyes added. “After that, he sprang into their arms. Billy allows people to pet him, but he never leaps into their arms.”

The receptionist then started questioning the father and daughter about the cat’s habits to see whether they were similar to Tuffo’s.

Billy, in particular, has an unusual method of drinking water: he scoops it up with his paw before drinking it.

Tuffo was well-known for doing something similar.

“They came in later that afternoon with other family members and Billy’s twin brother, [Cotone],” Keyes recalled. “The two cats instantly knew each other.”

After a three-year separation, Billy was returned home a few days later to live with his loving brother and family.
Billy’s family, the Sicconis, is now in regular communication with the hospital. Billy, it turns out, ran away from home following a relocation in the summer of 2021 and never returned.

But, owing to Noah’s Ark’s equally caring care, he’s now safe and sound at home with his loved ones.