The cat-loving community in North Antrim and Glens have come together to raise vital funds for Eric, a blind kitten who came into Cats Protection care after being found with his littermates. Their mum had tragically suffered fatal injuries in a nearby road traffic accident.

At just eight weeks old, Eric needed surgery to remove both eyes due to being born with severe birth defects affecting both eyes. His medical care alone has exceeded £500.

After nearly two months of care from Cats Protection North Antrim and Glens, Eric has now been reserved and will soon be going to his forever home. However, the team is still fundraising to cover the costs of his care.

Branch volunteer, Jodi Burnside, said: “Eric’s vision was sadly beyond repair, but thankfully cats’ other senses are so in tune that Eric has adjusted in no time.

“Eric is a really rare case; we’ve only seen two other double eye enucleations in the last five years!

“Despite everything he has been through, he has taken it all in this stride. He’s now fully recovered and acts like any normal-seeing kitten. He has such a lovely, playful personality.

“We’re delighted that Eric will be going to a special home soon with patient, loving owners - but until then, we are still fundraising to cover the cost of his care.

“His surgery and treatment alone cost over £500, and that’s before factoring in our general expenses of caring for a cat. On average, it costs nearly £1,000 for a cat to stay with us before finding a home.

“The community has been incredibly supportive, and we’ve almost hit our initial target. If anyone would still like to help our fundraiser or find out more about Eric’s journey, we’d be so grateful for any visits to our JustGiving page.”

You can support Cats Protection North Antrim and Glens by visiting their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/north-antrim-and-glens-branch-cats-protection-eric

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