Kittens Born Without Eyelids To Get Novel Sight-Saving Surgery
BOSTON (CBS) -- MSPCA-Angell is raising money to help two kittens, born without eyelids and rescued from a drainage pipe at a construction site this summer, undergo a sight-saving surgery.
In late August, a good Samaritan rushed the kittens to the MSPCA after finding them in Dorchester. They were scared, dirty, and skinny when they arrived at the shelter, and a veterinarian exam revealed that the kittens were born without upper eyelids.
The rare condition is known as Agenesis, which left the kittens, Anna and Elsa, unable to blink or moisten their eyes. If left untreated, the condition leads to blindness.
On Thursday, the 10-week-old kittens were taken to the MSPCA-Angell in Jamaica Plain so Dr. Martin Coster could check them out before next week's surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center. In December 2014, the ophthalmologist successfully performed a similar surgery on another cat.
The procedure, which involves surgically removing and transplanting tissue from the kittens' lower lips to the muscles that control blinking, will likely cost more than $2,000, according to MSPCA. It will be paid for using money from severely depleted Spike's Fund, which pays for the medical expenses of homeless animals in the MSPCA's Boston adoption center.
Following the surgery, the kittens will rest several weeks before they are put up for adoption. Anyone interested in adopting them can email adoption@mspca.org.
To make a donation, visit the MSPCA's fundraising page.