PENNSYLVANIA – She was found disfigured with a face like a horror movie character. However, Braille the kitten continues to inspire legions of fans after her miraculous recovery where her eyes had to be sewn shut to save her life.
The eight-week-old wee one may not look as cute and fluffy as most kittens that are her age, but her present appearance looks far prettier than her previous gruesome appearance when she was found abandoned in Philadelphia.
Owners Erin Signor, who is 22, and Sara Konnecke, who is 25, say their foster pet is now being referred to as ‘beacon of hope’ for people and animals with disabilities.
Braille was discovered neglected ad left on the streets at five weeks old and rushed to the Animal Care and Control Team Philadelphia, where Sara herself works.
The poor baby could barely eat or breathe, weighed just 11oz, and also had a serious respiratory infection.
One of her eyes had been crusted shut, and the tissue in the other had gone into proptosis so was bulging out of the socket to try and expel itself from out of the body.
It looked so bad they believed that Braille would have to be put down.
Sara however, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, wasn’t about tolet the shelter euthanize the kitten, and agreed to foster her to save her life.
Couple Sara and Erin, who also live with cats Daisy and Lily, simply refused to give up hope despite the kitten needing hot compresses and medication every few hours.
They have now praised the kitten for her ‘fearsome warrior spirit’ after her successful bilateral enucleation surgery.
Mechanical engineer Erin stated: ‘The first night we took Braille home I actually cried for hours because of how lethargic and distressed she was.
‘We honestly had no idea if she would make it, and wondered if she should have been humanely euthanized to end her suffering.
‘But Sara assured me she had seen kittens pull through incidents like this and she was determined we could save her.
‘After Braille’s surgery we took her back home and she purred for the first time ever.
‘It was almost as if we had brought home a new kitten!’
The couple then set up a Facebook page for the cat, which has since garnered over 1,600 fans who follow the updates on her condition.
‘At first we were very reluctant to share photos of Braille due to the gruesome nature of the photos,’ stated Erin.
‘But we decided to share her story when Sara’s sister Erika, who previously was too upset to look at her eye, saw her post-surgery photos and couldn’t believe how different she looked.’
Vets did finally have to remove Braille’s eyes despite her light weight, when she sneezed and her right eye ruptured.
Read these characteristics which almost all cat lovers have in common:
INTROVERTED AND SENSITIVE
It’s the nature of cats that they are not friends with everybody, and the same trait can be seen in their owners too. Usually, they live alone and are happy with their independent lifestyle. They are introverts but are comfortable hanging around with other people. However, they would need some me-time to relax and recharge.
CAT LOVERS LEAN TO LEFT
It has been observed that people with liberal political leanings prefer cats over dogs. You might be a liberal dog lover or a conservative cat owner; if you’re a liberal, you love cats and vice versa.
CAT OWNERS ARE OPEN-MINDED
Five traits – conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness are often seen in most cat lovers. As compared to dog owners, people who have cats as pets are more open and therefore, have greater artistic creativity.
ATTENTION SEEKERS
Just like their pets, cat lovers seek attention from people around them. They like to be the centre of all conversations. At times, cat owners rely on their pets for emotional support.
THEY RESPECT CATS MORE THAN ANYONE
Cat people respect cats more than humans, in general. The saddest sight for a cat lover is to see the animal on the streets without a home. Cat lovers are often seen making a special effort to rescue or rehabilitate homeless cats.