Community Rallies To Save Kittens Born Without Eyelids In OKC

Five kittens in Oklahoma City are born without eyelids. The community has come together to give them a fighting chance at life.

The kittens are named after some popular characters – Prim, Rue, Katniss, Theo and Alex. It’s symbolic of their struggles at such a young age.

At 10 weeks old, the five are undergoing surgery to remove hair around their eyes. For some, their upper eyelids are recreated using a flap from their bottom eyelids.

Dr. Kevin Donnelly is one of the doctors who operated on the kittens with Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners. He says if the kittens didn’t get help, they would eventually go blind from scratched and scarred corneas.

The kitten Prim is one with more serious conditions. She also has to have her left eye removed.

Assuming no complications, Dr. Donnelly says all of them will recover well.

Abby Wolfe with the Central Oklahoma Humane Society says animal lovers have rallied around the kittens, even receiving a donation from Japan. Through the Rita’s Angel Fund, all five kittens got the surgeries they needed.

The kittens are not available for adoption yet, but when they are, Wolfe says they will be looking for dedicated owners who can give extra care to the visually-impaired kittens.

To donate to Rita’s Angels Fund: http://www.okhumane.org/ritas-angel-fund/