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Severe infection threatens kitten’s eyesight

Victoria rescue organization nursing ‘feisty little thing’ back to health
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Kathleen Davis with Broken Promises Rescue cuddles with Nyx. The six-week-old kitten was dropped off at a local veterinary hospital with a severe infection in both eyes. Dan Ebenal/News Staff

He may be just six weeks old and unable to see, but that’s not slowing down little Nyx.

“He’s a feisty little thing,” says Kathleen Davis as she tries to corral the young kitten who was dropped off at a local animal hospital with severe infections in both eyes.

“A lot of kittens in this condition would be a lot more subdued and depressed, but he’s a real fighter.”

Nyx turned up at an animal hospital last Friday.

“He just showed up at the vet office, somebody just turned him in,” said Pamela Saddler, adding the kitten is very sweet and loving so she doesn’t believe he is feral.

The vet then called Saddler who operates Broken Promises Rescue along with Davis, who is fostering Nyx back to health until he can be adopted.

“We think it was just an infection and it was left with no treatment and it’s gotten extremely bad,” said Saddler, who fears the infection has become so severe it may cost Nyx his eyes.

The kitten is currently being treated with antibiotics and an eye cream as well as an eye serum made from cat’s blood that is applied five times a day. Davis points out that animal hospitals are often looking for animal blood donors.

“We’ll give him a month or so on the eyedrops and see how he responds,” said Davis, adding that if Nyx seems in distress they would bring him in for surgery to have his eyes removed.

“Right now he probably wouldn’t even survive the surgery because he’s so little. And sometimes it’s amazing what nature can do with just a little time.”

But right now Nyx is eating well, playing with toys and seems otherwise healthy.

The treatment and care Nyx is receiving is likely to cost in the thousands, and those wishing to help out can make a donation through BrokenPromisesResuce.wordpress.com.

“We’re hoping we can save at least one eye or that he will be able to see shadows,” said Saddler, adding Nyx will be put up for adoption once he’s nursed back to health.

“It will depend on whether we can save his eyes. If it ends up we can’t save them, then it will be finding a special home without a lot of stairs.”



Dan Ebenal

About the Author: Dan Ebenal

Throughout my career, I've taken on roles as a reporter and editor in more than a dozen newsrooms across the province.
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