[Nfbwv-talk] Blind Kitten Finds Seeing Eye Cat

[Jack Yahnke]

Charlene,

Thanks for sharing, Charlene.  That is a truly touching story; even to a 
non-cat lover like me.

Jack

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Smyth, Charlene R" <Charlene.R.Smyth at wv.gov>
To: <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2014 11:50 AM
Subject: [Nfbwv-talk] Blind Kitten Finds Seeing Eye Cat


> This story was shared on the alumni list by Denise.
>
>
>
> Fellow homeless kitten becomes blind cat's buddy, guide
>
> Eileen Mitchell
>
>
>
> Imagine being alone in a strange place with peculiar scents, frightening
> noises,
>
> and no food, water or shelter. One might have a sense of real
> abandonment. In the
>
> case of a kitten named Celica, this experience was not only real but
> compounded by
>
> the fact that she was born blind.
>
> Joe Fama
>
> , a Nine Lives Cat Shelter volunteer, tells the story of Celica and her
> "seeing-eye
>
> cat," Jett.
>
> Little Celica
>
> 's dire start in life changed when she was found in the East Bay
> huddling under a
>
> rusty old Toyota Celica, hence her name. She was brought to the Nine
> Lives Cat Shelter
>
> in Redwood City, where the shelter's founder and veterinarian,
>
> Monica Rudiger
>
> , treated her. She found that, blindness aside, Celica was a normal,
> healthy and
>
> amiable 5-month-old kitten.
>
> Jett, another 5-month-kitten, was found abandoned in Los Banos (Merced
> County). He
>
> was also brought to the no-kill shelter the same day that Celica
> arrived. Initially,
>
> the beautiful black kitten stayed away from the other cats, as is
> frequently the
>
> case with a new arrival. However, this changed when Celica was placed in
> the same
>
> living space with him. The little male immediately approached the blind
> kitten and
>
> snuggled against her. In the days that followed, the two became
> inseparable as Jett
>
> became not only Celica's companion but her "eyes" as well.
>
> When I visited Nine Lives, Celica was exploring her living area by touch
> and stopping
>
> for an occasional nibble in her dish or a few rounds of ball-batting.
> Jett was taking
>
> a break with - of course - a catnap. Volunteers who worked with Celica
> were touched
>
> by the sweet, affectionate little cat who loved laps and perching on
> shoulders and,
>
> despite her blindness, displayed the typical playful behavior of a
> curious kitten.
>
> Jett was also a "people person," gentle and affectionate. Both soon
> became favorites
>
> of the Nine Lives staff and volunteers.
>
> Like other blind pets, blind cats are able to lead happy, normal lives.
> This is made
>
> easier when they have a companion animal, like Jett, who acts as their
> guide. In
>
> return, a blind cat can be just as affectionate and lovable as any
> sighted pet. There
>
> are, of course special accommodations that need to be made. For example,
> blind cats
>
> must always be indoor pets. Once the animal has acclimated to its new
> home, however,
>
> life carries on in a normal manner.
>
> Thanks to social media, the moving story of Celica and Jett caught the
> attention
>
> of a Sacramento woman who recently made the long drive to Redwood City
> to adopt the
>
> bonded pair. The two kittens have come a long way from their cold and
> hungry days
>
> on the streets and today are healthy, happy, and loved in their new
> forever home.
>
> Learn more
>
> Check out the many cats available for adoption at the Nine Lives
> Foundation at 3016
>
> Rolison Road, Redwood City; (650) 368-1365.
>
> www.facebook.com/ninelivesfoundation
>
> .
>
> E-mail Pet Tales at
>
> home at sfchronicle.com
>
> . Want more pet and people tales? Go to
>
> www.eileenmitchell.blogspot.com
>
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