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Joshua Hiebert was cleaning his yard in Tampa, Florida, last June when he noticed someone crouching in his driveway.
“I observed this little orange piece of cat leaning against our garage door as I was walking back to the house,” Hiebert told The Dodo. “He was on the concrete in the sun, and it was about 90 degrees outside.”
Hiebert looked around but couldn’t find the kitten’s mother, so he rushed to record a video to show his partner, Jose Tortolero. Hiebert was aware of a feral cat colony in his area and had tried to treat them with respect when they were around.
“We had fed them before,” Hiebert explained, “so we assume the mother felt safe leaving [the kitten] with us.”
@mr.gardeners Good Vibes only for Whiskers, please 🙌🏻 #kitten #rescue #blindkitten #fingerscrossed #whiskers ♬ Calm LoFi song(882353) – S_R
Once Hiebert opened the garage door, the kitten stumbled inside and squatted in a corner. “He was very weak,” Hiebert said. “He couldn’t even hold his head up, and we realized he wasn’t really engaging with us. For example, if we moved, he didn’t seem to be bothered. But we attributed that to the fact that he was very dehydrated.”
When Hiebert and Tortolero offered the kitten a bowl of water, they noticed that he dipped his paw into the water and patted it before drinking, as if to test its depth. That’s when they realized that the little orange kitten was blind.
When Hiebert opened the garage door, the kitten stumbled inside and crouched in a corner. “He was very weak,” Hiebert says. “He couldn’t even hold his head up, and we realized he wasn’t really engaging with us. For example, if we moved, he didn’t seem to be bothered. But we attributed that to the fact that he was very dehydrated.”
When Hiebert and Tortolero offered the kitten a bowl of water, they noticed that he dipped his paw into the water and patted it before drinking, as if to test its depth. That’s when they realized that the little orange kitten was blind.
The couple rushed to the pet store to buy supplies and hand-fed the kitten, who seemed grateful for the meal and a comfortable place to sleep. The next day, the kitten, whom they named Whiskers, was full of energy.
They took Whiskers to the vet for a checkup, where he received eye drops, eye lubricants and antibiotics.
@mr.gardeners Whiskers Update! Thank you for the positive Vibes 🙌🏻 You’re all amazing. ❤️ #kitten #blindkitten #kittenrescue #fingerscrossed #whiskers ♬ Calm LoFi song(882353) – S_R
Whisker’s eyes improved with the treatment, but he is virtually blind, seeing only changes in light and movement. His fathers are still hopeful that with time and care, his vision will return, and they are doing everything they can to help him.
Whiskers, now 6 months old, is an active and independent kitten who loves to play with his two canine siblings.
“He’s the sweetest,” Hiebert says. “He’ll never put his claws on you when he plays. He’s very gentle.”
“He gets excited as soon as he’s done eating,” he adds. “He’s restless and runs around the house.”
Whiskers is content as long as he’s near one of his dads, despite the fact that he still needs to be groomed and developed. Hiebert and Tortolero are happy to have him in their lives and their home.
“We adore him,” Hiebert said. “He’s obviously a member of the family.”
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