A six-week old kitten was found by a kind-hearted member of the public in a terrible state, suffering from cat flu and contacted the ISPCA for help.
Following an urgent veterinary assessment, the kitten later named Sparrow was placed on life-saving fluid therapy due to her weakened state, to prepare her body for surgery.
Her right eye was so badly damaged due to a chronic untreated infection and upon veterinary advice, there was no alternative but to have it surgically removed to prevent further suffering.
ISPCA Donegal ARC Manager Denise McCausland said: “Sparrow was so small, it was touch and go if she would recover from the anaesthetic, as the damage to her eye was so severe. Thankfully this little lady made a great recovery and in the following weeks, her eye healed beautifully”.
Cat flu is a treatable illness, and after a course of antibiotics most cats recover perfectly. Unfortunately for Sparrow, she had not received the veterinary treatment she needed in time for her illness, and sadly as a result her right eye was so badly damaged, it had to be removed”.
This brave little kitten has since been rehomed and she is now thriving. Her new family have renamed her Winky, because they say “having one eye hasn’t limited her in any way. She is able to do everything a cat with two eyes can do, the only difference is instead of blinking, she winks!”
Her new family said: “Winky is full of energy and always wants to play and cuddle. One of her favourite things to do is watch the washing machine spin around, and she falls asleep to the sound of it. Adopting a kitten in need is one of the best things we have ever done. We love her so much and it really means the world to us that we were able to help her and give her a loving home, and hopefully a much better life.”
Winky is adored by her new family and we are very thankful they are giving her the life and home she thoroughly deserves.
All cats and kittens adopted from the ISPCA are fully vaccinated, part of which inoculates cats specifically for cat flu; they are also treated for parasites and neutered or spayed when of age.
If you can offer a wonderful home to a cat or kitten from the ISPCA Donegal Animal Rehabilitation Centre, please email donegal@ispca.ie, call 074 9152360 or check out the cats/kittens for adoption on https://www.ispca.ie/rehoming/
