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Report crueltyA Christmas miracle! 'Angel' kitten with no eyes reunited with his brother
23.12.20
A special kitten with no eyes rescued by us in his hour of need has been reunited with his brother - just in time for Christmas.
The kitten - who, despite having no eyes, is healthy - was rescued by our inspector Krissy Raine on Sunday 20 December, after he was found straying in Peterlee, County Durham.
It's thought the 14-week-old kitten - who Krissy named Gabriel, after the angel - lost his eyes after having cat flu, leaving him with empty sockets.
The brothers instantly recognised each other
After his rescue, Krissy realised her colleague had rescued a stray kitten from the same area just a few weeks before - and they immediately realised the pair were brothers. So they were reunited - and instantly recognised each other.
Krissy said:
"It was a very special and heartwarming moment and wonderful to think Gabriel would have something familiar in a different world.
"It's amazing that Gabriel survived. I took him to a vet and they believe he had cat flu which left his eyes badly damaged and they perished. But he is very healthy, he needed no treatment from the vets at all.
"Even though he was from a feral colony when I took him to the vets, they were shocked by how calm and friendly he was and instantly fell in love with him. We named him Gabriel as he is an absolute angel and everyone who meets him adores him!"
Krissy's colleague, our inspector Gemma Lynch, had rescued Gabriel's brother Arthur six weeks before from the same area. Arthur was very poorly when he was rescued and had to have surgery to remove an eye, which was also believed to have been damaged by cat flu. His second eye was thankfully saved.
Krissy said:
Gemma couldn't believe it when she realised she had rescued his brother a few weeks before and we knew we had to reunite them. Arthur was being looked after by a foster family and they were so excited to hear that his brother had been rescued - they welcomed him with open arms too.
They are both with the same foster family now, they are such calm, caring and affectionate cats - such special little angels. Now that they are back together, Arthur can guide Gabriel through life.
The pair will be looking for a home together in the future where they can live as indoor cats.
A Christmas miracle
Said Krissy
"After everything that has happened in 2020, this is such a lovely story to share with people as a reminder that heartwarming things still happen every day.
"It's a Christmas miracle for Gabriel and Arthur - we're just so pleased that they are together for Christmas Day, it's the perfect gift for them."
This winter, we expect to rescue thousands of animals from neglect, cruelty and suffering. To help our rescue teams reach the thousands of animals who desperately need us, donate online.
