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Blind kitten saved by animal rescue charity

BBC A black kitten with eyes near to a black and white kitten with no eyes after being born without them due to suspected inbreedingBBC
Cracker, left, and Miracle, who was born without any eyes, keep each other company at the rescue centre

The discovery of a blind kitten that was starving to death brought staff at a cat rescue centre close to tears, the charity's chief executive has said.

Miracle, as she has since been named by staff at Yorkshire Cat Rescue, was among 23 cats and kittens recovered from one home in 2024.

Last year was the organisation's busiest since it was founded in 1992, according to CEO Lynn Nicholls.

Speaking about the increase in demand, Ms Nicholls said: "I'd be lying if I said I don't go home on a night and worry about how we are going to pay all the bills and what the impact is going to be to the charity."

Three woman all wearing light blue, zip-up fleeces in an office with dual aspect, double-glazed windows.
Lynn Nicholls, right, said the charity's vet fees had increased to £200,000

Ms Nicholls said when Miracle was brought in to the centre in Keighley she "nearly broke me".

"She wouldn't stop screaming," she said.

"The vet said this was because she was starving to death.

"But we had to be very careful not to let her eat too much as she was so small and her kidneys would not cope."

With round-the-clock care, Miracle survived and now shares a living space with another one of the rescued kittens, Cracker.

However, she will need surgery and will never be able to see.

The kitten's eyes did not develop properly due to a congenital issue, Ms Nicholls said.

"She's got teeny, weeny little eyeballs in the back of her skull which she will never be able to see from. But she will need surgery to remove them," she said.

"That type of surgery will cost thousands of pounds, maybe £2,000."

Last year the charity's veterinary bills went up by £50,000, to a total of £200,000.

Ms Nicholls said she expects things to get worse.

"But we'll fundraise harder and just continue to try to fight that battle because every life we deal with matters," she said.

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