Meet Johnny Arnold, The Cat With A Unique Heart Marking Who Has Filled Huge Void In Peterborough Woman's Life

When her rescue dog Jake died tragically in his 14th year on June 7th, Peterborough’s Anne Arnold wasn’t sure whether she would bring another pet into her life. “I wasn’t in a position to bring in a new puppy or dog and wasn’t even sure at the time if I wanted a new pet in my life,” Arnold tells PTBOCanada.

See, Jake had filled such a huge void for Arnold after her late husband Gord passed away and had become an amazing buddy to her. How could she possibly replace her beloved Jake with another pet? How could that pet fill the void and live up to Jake?

After a few weeks, Arnold began to have a change of heart. “I kept looking online for a kitten and during Covid they were very hard to find. I saw Johnny on Friday, July 3rd on the Peterborough Humane Society website and just had to have him. He was so cute and looked like he could use a friend.”

So Anne adopted him, or more like perhaps he adopted her. Whatever the case, serendipity is a beautiful thing and they have quickly become best friends.

Johnny Arnold has filled a special place, a void, in Anne’s heart. “He has definitely stolen my heart,” she says. “He is such a sweetie, loves being cuddled and is very inquisitive.” He is also incredibly playful: “He loves to play hide and seek, and loves to hide his toys so I can seek to find them.”

Anne and Johnny

What also makes Johnny Arnold unique is his heart marking, which is getting more and more prominent—some might suggest from all the love he gets from Anne. (It all depends on how you look at life and love.)

“You can see that he does have a few different markings and it wasn’t till a week or so later after I adopted him that one started developing into a heart, and it continues to grow and be prominent,” Arnold says.

The way Anne see it, “Johnny’s heart could be from Jake or even part of Gord to make sure I am alright.”

One thing’s for sure: The world needs a lot of love right now, and Johnny Arnold and his bestie Anne give us some sense of hope that love and empathy wins.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.