Cat that seemed blind turned into an internet sensation when he finally opened his unusual eyes
An adorable kitten named Cotton was given a new lease on life.
Cotton was rescued in 2016 by a man from Royal Palm Beach, Florida. The cat showed up at his house and was so hungry that he ate the resident cat's food.
Carmen Morales, a volunteer at a shelter in the area, collected the cat. Poor Cotton was dehydrated, anemic and suffered from a severe case of mange.
The cat was placed on antibiotics, and his new carer was instructed to feed him several malls throughout the day to build up his appetite.
Morales quarantined him from her other cats and said "it was incredible how much Cotton has improved after an initial dose of Ivermectin" and coconut oil. She added:
"He has started to open his eyes. He received fluids a second time, and I have been giving him wet food every 2-3 hours."
The scabs came off a few days later, and the poor cat's long healing process began. Two years later and Cotton is unrecognizable.
Morales has fostered dozens of sick rescue cats over the years and was in a position to give Cotton the care he needed.
Cotton eventually grew to trust Morales. She said he would sit patiently as she applied ointment. Morales was surprised when his eyes finally opened.
The gorgeous boy had one bright blue eye and one hazel eye. It took months of love and care, but Cotton eventually overcame his health issues.
He had newfound energy to finally see the world around him after being unable to see for so long. She assumed the poor cat went for months without sight.
Morales explained: “We thought he was blind, and that he would be blind forever. The vet thought that even when his eyes recovered, they might be damaged, but they weren’t. It was such a wonderful surprise. His eyes were just beautiful.”
A few blocks away, Morales gave another kitten a second chance at life when she rescued him from underneath a mobile home.
She heard a sound coming from the trailer and followed it until she found the kitten. The kitten began crying when he saw his rescuer:
"The kitten was hanging from his right arm, and another piece of string was pulling him to the right. I almost went under the trailer to get him, but I was afraid to scare him and get him tangled even more."
She reached out to Animal Control, and they sent an officer to assist. Once freed, the kitten was taken to a vet for emergency medical attention.
The kitten, named Blue, made progress and his playful personality soon emerged. Follow his adventure on Instagram.
Morales continues to save kittens from distress, most memorably rescuing a cat after vagrants "duct-taped" her head.