As a follow up to our last blog post about special needs kitties, here are a few we have available for adoption now who are vision or hearing impaired. But don’t let that deter you!! These kitties are resilient and have no idea that they are missing anything… to them, they are just happy to have been given a chance to live and find forever homes through Austin Pets Alive!
Emmett is a young Siamese kitten who was infected by a common feline virus as a baby. Since they are too young to receive vaccinations, kittens who are infected with this type of virus face severe eye infections and often lose their sight and even sometimes their eyes entirely. But he is otherwise healthy and happy. Emmett has already learned to compensate for this loss of sight. Plus, the added bonus is that Emmett will always be winking at the family who gives him a home!! Emmett’s foster mom describes him as the most active and rambunctious kitten of his entire litter. He has no fear! Last year, we posted a series of blog posts about a kitten named India whose eye infection cost her both of her eyes. She is living a happy and fulfilling life with her adoptive family in Houston. Another “winker” we have available is Axel.
Willie is a 7 year old Lynx Point stunner. He has had surgical repair to his left eye for Entropion. This is the turning in of the edges of the eyelid (usually the lower eyelid) so that the lashes rub against the eye surface. Since repair, Willie has felt so much better!! His left eye appears smaller than his right eye, but he has no lingering problems from the condition or the surgical repair. Willie is an affectionate cat and gets along with his feline companions at the APA! Tarrytown Adoption Center in West Austin (3108 Windsor Rd).
Bonnie is a beautiful dilute calico girl who was born without eyes. This condition, known as Anophthalmia, means Bonnie can’t see but she is happy and otherwise healthy. She has been with her sister, Bettie, since birth and it’s preferred they are adopted together. Bonnie will adapt to any environment since she is still young. Last year, Tabby Baby was a kitten with a similar condition. She found a home and is now living in San Antonio and enjoying a happy life.
Iona is an older lady cat who prefers to be the only feline, but gets along with some dogs. Iona is estimated to be about 12 years old. She shows all the signs of being deaf, but then again… don’t all cats basically ignore their people from time to time?
Dixie has a similar eye condition as Emmett, though she is further along in her recovery. Dixie’s left eye ruptured when she was younger from the same virus as Emmett, and she may have her eye surgically closed when she is spayed. Again, this amazing little Tortie girl plays just like her siblings and gives no indication to anyone that she has a disability.
Sally is a little Torbie girl (part Tortie, part Tabby) who came to APA! struggling. She was underweight and sick with the standard kitty cold, but it quickly became obvious that she was blind. Her pupils are large and dilated, which is often the case when there has been trauma. We don’t know what happened to Sally before she was rescued, but we are glad she is now in our care. Sally is still young and will integrate well into a new home. She will require gradual introduction to her surroundings so that she knows where her food and litterbox is, but she will be resilient. She is in foster with other cats but has had minimal introduction. She has actually spent more time interacting with the foster’s dog, and seems relatively unphased…although the dog appears more interested in Sally’s food! As you can see in this video http://youtu.be/LnoIxi-GWVU, Sally is a pretty smart girl and can navigate her surroundings (and even the edge of the bed) quite well!
For information on adopting any of these kitties, contact [email protected]. Fosters for kitties like these are also always needed. Send an email to [email protected] for more information.
