One-eyed kittens in need of new homes

Tan Parsons

AN ANIMAL shelter is seeking new homes for a litter of one-eyed kittens found ill and abandoned under a bush in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

Eight tiny kittens were discovered in the Suburb, close to East Finchley, by a caring member of the public who rushed them to an animal shelter in Wood Green. They were suffering from extreme cat flu which had left five of them with severely damaged eyes.

Veterinary staff at the shelter where the kittens were treated found some of them had suffered so badly from the flu that their eyes were extremely damaged - to the extent that two of them had suffered detached retinas.

Katie Wickens, the manager of Wood Green's London Shelter, said: "It was clear that in order to save the kittens their damaged eyes needed to be removed.

"It was a really difficult decision to make but we felt that in order to save them from suffering any longer we had to do the procedure.

"Since treatment they have become typical cheeky kittens who are extremely confident and friendly. They have adjusted remarkably well and were playing as soon as they could in the hospital."

The three kittens which had only minor treatment for the flu are all fully recovered and looking for new homes.

Their siblings with only one eye are still being monitored to make sure they have recovered completely and will hopefully be looking for new homes by Monday.

Staff at the shelter have seen a huge rise in the number of kittens being abandoned and brought in to be re-homed in the last few months.

To combat the problem they are urging all cat owners to have their cats neutered and to make sure they are vaccinated to ensure they do not suffer from illnesses such as the cat flu that affected the abandoned kittens they are now caring for.

For more information about adopting a kitten call 020-8888 2351.

tan.parsons@hamhigh.co.uk