Life hasn’t always been kind to kittens Mini and Hugo.
Mini was found outside with one perforated eye and one collapsed from a severe infection. Hugo had serious infections in his eyes as well. Neither kitten had a home or people to care for them.
Both kittens eventually landed at the Humane Society of Elkhart County in Indiana, where they had their eyes removed to save their overall health. Both also faced an uncertain future in the crowded animal shelter.
Thankfully, Mini and Hugo (originally named Bubbly and Rowan) got transferred to Anderson Humane, where staff noticed right away how much the two depend on each other. “They have been buddies since they had their surgeries and they rely on each other for comfort,” said Alyssa Masten, Anderson Humane’s Intake and Community Feline Coordinator. “They play and cuddle with each other. They are never apart.”
Our adoption team knew they had to keep this duo together, but would they find someone willing to adopt not one but two blind kittens?
Enter a woman named Karen. “They got my heart the minute I held them,” said Karen, who went to Anderson Humane’s main shelter “just to look at them” after her daughter spotted the kittens on our adoptables web page. Karen already had one blind cat at home, Twilight, as well as another cat, Midnight, and a dog, Cooper – all rescues.
“Mini was very loving,” Karen said of that first meeting, adding that Mini stayed snuggled up to Karen as long as she held her. “Hugo looked like a little troublemaker.” Karen knew right away she had to adopt them.
The first night with her new kittens, Karen sat up with Mini, who had a respiratory infection. She was wheezing and congested and sounded horrible. Karen feared the worst and wondered if maybe she’d bitten off a little more than she could chew.
Thankfully, Mini soon responded to the medications she’d been sent home with. “She’s a spunky little kitten now,” Karen said, relieved. Karen and her family of animals soon settled into their new life together. Mini and Hugo now like to play with shoelaces and enjoy long baths in the bathroom sink. “It’s always a hive of activity.”
Karen is amazed at how agile all three of her blind cats are. “They told me at the shelter, just don’t move the furniture and they’ll be fine,” she said, adding that the advice has definitely proven true. Karen has a gate to keep her dog out of the cats’ litter boxes that has a small hole for the cats to get through. “Those cats are so smart, they’ll run right through it, not bumping into anything. I’m totally amazed.”
Karen also marvels at the many ways the kittens use their other senses to lead a normal life. “They smell their food and litter boxes. They know my footsteps and follow me around the house. They’re at the door waiting for me when I come home,” she said.
“They don’t really feel like they have special needs. In fact, they have so much to give,” Karen said. “They give me love, bring me a lot of joy, and keep my mind sharp. I love them to death. They impacted my life so positively.” Now safely in a home with a loving family, Mini and Hugo, no doubt, would say the same of Karen.
Start your own love story by checking out our adoptable animals.