Abby **Visually impaired**

**Please read Abby's entire bio before applying for her. Abby has specific considerations in a successful adoption.

Abby is a shelter favorite for so many reasons, primarily because she is just a really REALLY sweet cat. Abby was kind from the moment she entered our shelter, even though she had every reason not to be, as she wasn't in perfect condition when she was brought in. This girl was always grateful from day one, grateful for food, grateful for care, for kindness, for affection, and seemed to somehow understand we were "helping her" in everything we were doing. Abby purrs all the time, the moment she hears you, or you touch her, she lets you know that she is happy that you are there with her. I think this beautiful soul is going to be the very best friend of someone that needs a true and pure friend like Abby. This sweetheart has waited for too long to be loved and truly cared for by someone. It is Abby's turn to live her happily ever after.

**Abby was brought to us with a condition called Entropion. Entropion is a painful eye condition where the eyelids "flip" or roll inward. As a result, hairs rub on the clear surface of the eye (the cornea), which is very painful and can lead to wounds on the eye, severe scarring, and if left untreated, loss of vision. Abby's Entropion Repair was completed on November 11th, we are hopeful this repair will only require a single surgery, but she has a scheduled follow-up to determine her future needs. We were hoping Abby still would have significant vision in both eyes, but we do not believe this is the case. Because Abby is not a kitten, in fact, aged by the vet as approximately five years old, we do not know how long she has been dealing with this condition. ***Update 12/6 Abby's surgery went well, and she has recovered beautifully, her kind spirit shining as bright as ever. At this point, we do believe Abby has some level of vision impairment. We continue to seek assistance from our vet partners, in determining the level, continued assistance with Abby's recovery, and how much improvement we can expect with time. We do believe she has some vision, whether it be light, shadows, and outlines, or more significant vision that she is now learning to "use" again. Even with this "impairment" you would not necessarily know it. We have to assume Abby has learned to adapt to her limited vision over the years before her surgery, as she has no issues finding and using the litter box appropriately. She easily finds the food and water dishes, she is able to easily move around the room, climb on cat trees, and even play with toys.

Abby would benefit from another kind cat willing to accept, love, and assist her with some support. Currently, all of the cats in our shelter do provide different levels of support to Abby. They must somehow recognize her differences or needs. Our playful cats still play with her (Abby is very playful), our snuggly cats allow her to lay with them, a few cats groom Abby, or allow her to groom them (another strong Abby skill) and some of our others, well they just accept her and allow some missed personal space cues that they may not allow from other cats. Abby would enjoy a friend or friends like this in her new home to help her figure out her place in it, and support her transition. Abby seems to love everyone, so as long as the other cat is open, she will snuggle her way right into their heart as well. ***Another kind cat in the home currently or adopting Abby plus one of our other cats (Zeva would be my first pick) will be a requirement to Abby's adoption. Another will be limited stairs in the home. Although Abby is amazing at accommodating for her impairment, we do want to put Abby in the safest environment from the start. We prefer home ownership, including the "plan" to stay in same home for the foreseeable future. Due to Abby's impairment, consistency is important, constant surrounding changes would not be best for Abby. We also would discourage those that have mobility concerns of their own, Abby will be under your feet some of the time. She walks close to you so she can follow you. If she cannot hear you, she needs to feel you. And Abby wants to be near you. Again, she will love you the first time you meet her so obviously she wants to be around you!

All of our kitties have s/n completed, up to date on vaccines, and microchipped. If you'd like to meet her or any of our great cats/kittens please submit an online adoption application at littleorphans.org. Please give our Adoption Team time to process all the info. The more complete your application is, determines how quickly we are able to process your application. Please try to give your vets office (give prior authorization to release information to us), landlord, and references a heads up to expect our call.