Your support helps healing happen.
For kitten Savannah, that help means she has a future full of love and play instead of the pain and poor vision she had at the start of her life.
Savannah was found as a feral kitten by a rescue group, and one of their volunteers fostered her for a couple months to help socialize her. She was seen by a veterinarian who identified concerns with her eyes and treated her with eye drops.
When Savannah was surrendered to Caring for Cats in May, she was seven months old. Our veterinarian also was concerned about the ongoing issues with her eyes and made a referral to an ophthalmologist.
The specialist diagnosed Savannah with eyelid agenesis, meaning that parts of her upper eyelids were missing. Eyelids protect our eyes while spreading tear film to keep the entire eye surface lubricated. With some of that protection missing, the eye can become dry, painful, and prone to disease and damage. For cats, these problems are amplified by surrounding fur rubbing on the exposed eye.
Savannah Needed Surgery
Savannah had a severe case of eyelid agenesis affecting both eyes, and her treatment involved two surgeries, including a procedure to make a new eyelid. The process required multiple times under anesthesia and a long (especially for a kitten!) healing time—meaning several weeks with the dreaded cone.
Initially, Savannah was in our Isolation room while she was awaiting surgery so that we could watch her closely. She was very scared and hissed and growled at the volunteers who were trying to take care of her. She would make herself very small in her bed or hide near the litter box.
As she built trust with volunteers, though, she started to respond positively to being held and comforted.
The Road to Recovery
Savannah recovered from surgery in a volunteer’s home, where she had her own room with a window and lots of toys.
After two weeks of healing, her foster mom let the resident 10-month-old kitten in the room to play with Savannah. Playtime—and the joy of just being a kitten—worked wonders for her recovery.
Ready for Adoption!
Now she’s back at the shelter, ready for her forever family. She’s free from pain and enjoys playing with her roommates.
We’re grateful that your support enables us to give our cats the care they need to start their next chapters feeling their best. And we don’t take for granted that we can go to specialists when kitties like Savannah need extra help.
You help make their futures brighter.
Sponsor cats like Savannah by becoming a Caring for Cats sponsor.