An extremely unique kitten, Jelly the tabby, has eyes unlike any a specialist had ever seen. The left eye points a little upward like he’s always looking at the sky. After going to a shelter, things started looking up when a rescuer from the Liberation Cat House in Orlando knew she had to save him along with another kitten.
Jelly has a left eye that looks up. Images via Instagram/foster.love.repeat
Knowing kittens do much better with a playmate, the rescue’s director, Ashley, also brought home Tarot, a white and orange kitten. He was a week younger but a lot smaller for his age. At six weeks old, he was “too small” to stay in a shelter overnight.
Tarot with Jelly at Liberation Cat House
There Was Nothing ‘Wrong’ with Jelly’s Eye
Jelly was seven weeks old when he came to the shelter with an eye infection. Straight away, he went to the veterinarian for a checkup and got the best news from an eye specialist.
Like a wonderfully different kitten named Bug, whom Ashely previously saved, Jelly was a little different but didn’t know it. And, although the eye was a little wonky, he could see, and there wasn’t anything “wrong with him.”
“In his 37 years of looking at pet eyes, he has never seen a cat with an eye like Jelly’s. He even took some photos of his eye to document it, the rescuer shared. “He said the eye actually looks normal, all of his pressures and responses are normal, and that eye does have vision. It’s just that instead of pointing forward, the globe of the eye is pointing up. He didn’t observe any neurological signs in his exam. and he believes Jelly was probably born this way.”
Despite his eye, he behaved like any other happy, playful kitten.
“In terms of his behavior, Jelly acts just like any other kitten; he has no idea his eye looks any different! 💙”
Avoiding Single Kitten Syndrome
Although Tarot was destined to be Jelly’s playmate, they needed to pass a quarantine for safety. That way, they wouldn’t spread potential illnesses, which can quickly prove serious in tiny kittens. But it wasn’t long before they were together at last and would remain inseparable.
When the quarantine coast was clear, Tarot and Jelly’s worlds collided, and it was instant cuteness overload. Pairing them together had important benefits for the kittens and their foster mom. As LoveMeow shared, Jelly encouraged the underweight Tarot to eat and grow his appetite.
Together, they avoided “single kitten syndrome,” where kittens can be bored and destructive, scratching and biting. With a wrestling partner, kittens exhaust their wild energy and learn about boundaries, realizing “Ouch, that hurts!” when they bite or scratch. They learn to “cat”, have manners with one another and with people and other pets.
“Taro and Jelly finally got to meet! I think many fosters will agree that having single kittens is a bit of a pain. They’re lonely, and they often can be bitey and don’t have great manners. They need you to provide all of their interaction since they don’t have any other kitties to play with or learn from. That’s why whenever I take a singleton, I always try to have other kitten(s) I can introduce them to after a quarantine period. Kittens having other kitties to interact with is so important to their social development,💙” she explained.
Tarot and Jelly Go Home Together!
In the wink of an eye, Tarot and Jelly were ready to go off into their future. Both grew into “loving, playful, active, curious, and good-natured kittens.” Even so, Jelly had little interest at first from potential adopters, possibly due to that wonky eye. But he was sweet and playful, liked other cats, and loved to purr and cuddle. Would somebody give him a chance?
Days later, Ashely shared the exciting news: Tarot and Jelly found a home together, the outcome everyone hoped for! At first, the adopters were drawn to Tarot because he reminded them of their late cat who crossed the Rainbow Bridge. But then they met Jelly and fell in love, deciding to adopt both!
“Taro and Jelly headed off to their new home today! I’m excited for these boys, and I know they’re going to be so loved 💙,” Ashley said.
You can help support Ashley at foster.love.repeat and Liberation Cat House on Instagram and Facebook.
