While he might look like a panther from afar, there is nothing wild about Vlad, unless it's the way he feels about people: he LOVES them. He will roll at your feet (and nuzzle your toes as though he was giving you a pedicure!) You'd never know that Vlad and his siblings are survivors, but they are! His momma Dallas (already adopted)  came to us from an urban shelter with her 5 newborn babies and a nasty upper respiratory infection (URI). As often happens, the URI quickly spread to the kittens, and the little family was very sick indeed. We lost the tiniest kitten, but the other four were fighters and seemed to recover well, with the exception of eye infections that just didn’t seem to get better. Our vet was very concerned, and recommended a consultation with a veterinary ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist told us that the kittens were all born with a rare congenital defect called agenesis. This means they were born without eyelids! They couldn’t blink and their eyes were vulnerable to injury and irritation from the hairs where their eyelids should have been. One of Thom’s eyes had already ruptured and had to be removed, but thanks to a regimen of antibiotic, antiviral and lubricating eye drops and their foster mom’s devoted care, we were able to protect their eyes from further damage while we waited for the kittens to grow big enough for cryosurgery. Thus, in February 2016, they had  a procedure to freeze the hair follicles around their eyes. THEY ARE COMPLETELY HEALED AND THE ONLY ONGOING CARE THEY NEED IS OVER-THE-COUNTER EYE DROPS FOR COMFORT!

While this all sounds overwhelming, we have to tell you that these youngsters have not missed a beat! They are among the sweetest and best socialized kittens we have known and have absolutely NO idea that anything is wrong. They are cheerful, curious and affectionate to a fault! They are everything kittens should be and make it impossible to be worried about their adoptability. Indeed, tabby Serb has already won his foster parents’ hearts and they have decided to make him a permanent member of their family. But our cuddly trio of black panther cubs—Princess Bija, her giant “twin” brother Vlad and winking pirate Thom—are waiting to join your family!

UPDATE MAY 2016: VLAD & THOM HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TOGETHER!