Life can be very hard for stray animals. From having to search for food to sleeping outside in the cold, it seems like a lonely and hard life. And there are some animals with medical conditions that don’t have owners to help them get the treatment they need. If it hadn’t been for the kind people he encountered, that would have been the story of a very special stray cat.
Potato was a stray cat in Hong Kong. Although he was a homeless cat, he and the other kittens in the neighborhood were fed and cared for by an old woman. When he left this world, these cats had nowhere to go and ended up really alone in an animal shelter. Eventually almost all of the cats in this group were adopted, including a cat named Horlick, but no one wanted to adopt Potato. After living happily with Horlick for a few months, his new owners began to think that maybe he was lonely. They realized that Potato was still up for adoption.
Potato was very close to having a home, but there was still a problem. Potato was not the idea of ​​a cute and cuddly kitten. His owners describe him as “Often having a smaller eye and a wry mouth, Potato looked more like a gangster than a pretty cat.” But Potato and Horlick remembered their stray days and got along as siblings, so the owners gave it a try and gave Potato a chance.
To make matters worse, when the couple decided to adopt Potato, they were informed that he had a rare ear condition, a ceruminous adenoma. According to Darren Berger, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, ceruminous adenoma results in lesions and tumors along the ears and ear canals of cats. This is a serious disease that can really harm a cat’s health, and curing that requires very expensive surgery.
When Potato’s owners started a fundraiser to pay for the surgery, people helped them. Finally, thanks to donations from all kinds of people, they raised enough money to pay for the surgery that removed Potato’s ears and ear canals. Potato’s surgery went smoothly and he began to recover very quickly. Upon discovering the new appearance of him without his ears, Potato’s parents said. “It looks like putting a pair of big eyes, a nose and a tiny mouth, on a little diamond, which was quite fun.”
After surgery, things are looking up for Potato. The vet confirmed that Potato’s tumors were not cancerous, so he was officially safe. He now he is free to live life as a healthy kitten, to roam the house and play and hug Horlick all he wants. His parents opened an Instagram account to celebrate his recovery and tell his story.
Potato’s story shows us how much love and dedication can change a life. Potato’s parents never gave up on him and did their best to keep him healthy and ensure a better life for him. Potato has come a long way, he has been a stray cat, he has been sick and now he is a happy cat.
He share this happy story with his friends and family.
Photos: Instagram ( no_ear_meow_potato )
