Stevie is a beautiful calico cat living in Cork, Ireland, with her human, Patrick Corr, his fiancée, and their newborn son. Compared to many of the world’s estimated 600 million cats, Stevie’s living an idyllic life.
Still, Stevie isn’t without her difficulties. It was only three years ago that she was living at a shelter, passed up time and again by potential adopters. Stevie has another life obstacle: She’s blind.
“Everything in my house must stay exactly in the same place at all times,” says Corr in a video dedicated to the cat. “When I take her outside, I have to use [a leash].”
“This was taken the day I adopted her,” Corr wrote. “She changed my life forever. I wasn’t really a cat person either until I met her.”
“Her tail acts as a cane to help her find her way around.”
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Although Stevie was born blind, she manages admirably. She lives her life as a happy—and extraordinarily adorable—housecat.
Shelter cats often lead difficult lives prior to their time at a rescue. Abuse, hunger, and the struggles of living without care can physically or mentally harm animals, resulting in potentially significant disabilities: missing limbs, PTSD, and damaged senses. Other animals, such as Stevie, Grumpy Cat, and Lil Bub, are born with their disabilities, making potential adopters less willing to take them home.
But a special-needs pet can enrich your life just as much as an ordinary one. They just need a little extra care and love. To find out more about special-needs cats, check out CatChat, and to find your own, go to Petfinder, where you can search by breed, special need, age, and location. To help other special-needs cats, donate to Lil Bub’s Big Fund for the ASPCA, which is dedicated to supporting cats and dogs with disabilities.
Photo via Imgur
