In August 2017, Bre, a San Diego vet tech, found a tiny kitten who had been abandoned in a bush in the parking lot of the animal hospital where she works. After a thorough medical examination, Bre discovered the kitten was approximately six weeks old, and she had ringworm, matted fur, and severe infections in both of her eyes. Bre, who has provided temporary homes to loads of kittens, decided to foster the little cat, naming her Persia.
Sadly, doctors were unable to save Persia’s right eye, and it was surgically removed a few weeks after she was found, leaving this adorable kitten with limited vision in her left eye. Thanks to Bre, Persia was successfully treated for ringworm, and after she was vaccinated and spayed, this beautiful one-eyed kitten was ready to find her forever home.
Celine, who follows Bre on Instagram, had watched as Persia transformed from a malnourished and neglected kitten into a beautiful young cat, but she didn’t think the cute Persian mix kitty would be a part of her family. “I didn’t consider adopting her at first,” says Celine. “We weren’t in the market for a third cat.”
However, Celine and her fiance Greg watched as multiple adoptive families fell through, and the couple slowly started to realize maybe the special one-eyed kitten was meant to live with them and their two cats, Cash and Olive, in Long Beach, California. “I was convinced there was no better home out there for her than ours,” explains Celine. “I applied and got a call one day that we had been approved.”
On October 22, 2017, Celine and Greg went to San Diego to meet the newest member of their family, and shortly after adopting the little one-eyed kitten, they began calling her Lemmy after the lead singer of Motorhead. “She’s a mean mugger,” explains Celine, “and it reminded us of him. She also has the most intense purr motor we have ever head, so naming her after the singer of a band named Motorhead seemed very appropriate.”
It didn’t take long for Lemmy to make herself at home with her new family, especially her brother Cash and her sister Olive, Celine and Greg’s two black cats. “We adopted them because black cats have a harder time finding homes than other cats,” says Celine. “We have a very soft spot in our hearts for the ‘unwanted’ ones.”
While the couple had experience with cats, Celine and Greg had never had a special needs kitty before, and they weren’t sure what to expect with Lemmy who has difficulty seeing out of her remaining eye. “We took her to an ophthalmologist,” explains Celine, “and he said her vision is the equivalent of wearing dirty sunglasses, so it’s not perfect.”
However, while Lemmy can’t see very well, she’s still extremely active and she likes to play, especially with foil balls. “She loves to climb onto the laundry hamper, jump down, and climb back up over and over again,” Celine says. This little one-eyed kitten also loves to eat, and she’s obsessed with Greg’s feet.
Lemmy also likes to play with Cash and Olive, although she doesn’t enjoy the laser pointer the same way her brother and sister do. “She doesn’t seem to notice and just tries to chase the other cats while they chase the laser,” says Celine.
Aside from these relatively minor issues, Celine insists Lemmy isn’t all that different from the average cat, and she believes it’s important for people to open their hearts and minds to imperfectly perfect pets. “While all cats deserve great homes, the ones that have been through trauma or any type of pain deserve a chance,” says Celine. “They are the last to get adopted and I wish people would look past their perfect imperfections. Also, one-eyed cats always look like they’re winking and how cute is that?”
Lemmy, who will celebrate her first birthday on June 14, 2018, has been through a lot in her relatively short life, but this adorable kitten — who was abandoned in a parking lot, injured and alone — now has a safe and loving home with Celine, Greg, and their two cats. “There is nothing we would not do for her,” says Celine. “She is the happiest little kitty’
To learn more about this adorable little cat, you can follow Lemmy on Instagram.
