A kitten ran up a family’s driveway with a “wink” on her face, and asked to be let in.
In early November, a Good Samaritan from Orlando, FL was stunned to find a little kitten running up her driveway, meowing for attention.
When the kitten got closer, she noticed that the tuxedo had an upper respiratory infection and some facial issues. She scooped her up, brought her inside, and reached out to Liberation Cat House, a local cat rescue, for help.
“She was caring for the kitten while searching for a rescue, and thankfully, I had the space to help,” Ashley, director and foster with Liberation Cat House, shared with us.
The finder had been calling the kitten Bug since that fateful day, and the name stuck. Bug was around six weeks old with one open eye and one nostril.
The eyelid and eyeball of the closed eye did not fully develop, and the iris in her open eye is partially underdeveloped. “She also has searching nystagmus, which is where her eye has rapid uncontrolled movements.”
“The doctor thinks that she likely was born with very low vision in that (open) eye if she’s not fully blind.”
Bug doesn’t seem to let anything stop her from doing what she wants. After she arrived at her new space, she was ready to explore. In no time, she discovered toys and started hopping around and playing to her heart’s content.
“She was friendly from the start. Once she had gotten to know me, she was quite happy to curl up in my lap on the couch,” Ashley told us.
“Often kittens will hide or be cautious in new environments, but not Bug. She is very brave, curious, and wants to go everywhere and play with all of the things. She is super sweet and lets me handle her easily, even taking her meds like a champ.”
Bug is adventurous, inquisitive and wants to investigate everything around her. She enjoys catching invisible bugs or playing pretend as she is able to find joy in every given moment.
“She doesn’t know that she has any issues, and we just want to give her the best chance possible.”
Ashley is working with her rescue to give Bug the best care for her eyes, her heart murmur, and provide whatever needed to help her thrive.
Despite her conditions, Bug is always in good spirits and just wants to have fun. She wears her permanent wink and sassy, adorable smirk proudly.
When Bug was at the ophthalmologist’s, she turned the exam room into her own little playground, interacting with the staff and putting smiles on their faces.
“Everyone just loved Bug, and she was playing in the exam room the whole time. That’s one amazing thing about her — she doesn’t let anything get her down.
“I think if Bug could talk, she’d say that she has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. She was a tiny kitten with the odds stacked against her and now she has a chance.”
“Her confidence and energy give me hope. She can play and navigate around the house even if she doesn’t see fully.”
