Carolin and her partner were returning from dinner while on vacation in Morocco in July 2019 when they noticed two dogs playing with a kitten outside their apartment. “The situation didn’t seem to be very dangerous so we went inside,” remembers Carolin, but as they watched the trio from their balcony, they became concerned for the young cat. “It was obvious that she was overwhelmed with the situation and didn’t feel comfortable.”
The pair went downstairs and were unable to find the kitten’s mother or siblings, so they rescued the fluffy calico cat and brought her inside. “Back in the apartment, we found out that she was in a bad condition,” says Carolin. “She was dirty, really skinny, had fleas and ticks, her belly was hard, she had diarrhea, and her eyes were missing.”
Carolin and her partner gave the kitten a bath in order to remove the fleas and ticks, and the following day they took her to the vet. An examination revealed the young cat was approximately three months old, and she had most likely suffered a severe infection that had irreparably damaged both of her eyes.
“She was de-wormed and got a topical flea treatment,” says Carolin, but the kitten was otherwise in good health and very adept at getting around. “Our plan was to foster her and find her a nice Moroccan family.”
However, as they cared for the little blind cat, Carolin became smitten with her, and she eventually realized there was no way she would be able to return to her home in Stuttgart, Germany, without the calico kitten. “Once I got to know her I fell deeply in love and simply couldn’t help but keep her,” remembers Carolin. “She was such a lovely, playful girl with such a big personality.”
Besotted with the adorable special needs kitten, Carolin decided to adopt her, naming her Liah. “Liah means lioness or as strong as a lion,” explains Carolin. “Since she‘s a real fighter we thought that’s an appropriate name for her.”
Carolin then began researching the process of bringing Liah back to Germany with her, and she discovered it would take four months, far longer than she or her partner had intended to stay in Morocco. However, she was not deterred, and she found a local woman who not only helped her get Liah the vaccinations and documents she needed to travel to Germany, she also cared for the little blind cat until Carolin was able to return to Morocco to collect her. “Four months later I came back to Morocco and brought her with me to Germany,” says Carolin.
In November 2019, Liah arrived in Europe, and it didn’t take long for her to adjust to her new home with Carolin. It’s been well over a year since she and her partner rescued Liah while they were on vacation in Morocco, and this gorgeous girl is doing extremely well, especially because Carolin adopted Luna, a one-eyed tabby cat, to keep her company. “She loves climbing and is really curious,” says Carolin. “She also likes to play tag with Luna and she‘s a great wrestler.”
She also enjoys playing soccer with balls and blueberries, and Liah is so accurate and agile, people often have difficulty believing she’s blind.
However, while she has no trouble jumping and climbing to high places, Liah sometimes has difficulty getting back down and will meow until Carolin comes to her rescue. “Astonishingly this only happens when I‘m at home,” says Carolin. “It’s as if she knows that she might need my help and would never climb up there when I‘m not around.”
While she might need a bit more help than a typical cat, Liah is very independent and doesn’t require as much attention and assistance as people might assume. In fact, when Carolin rearranged the furniture in her home office last year, it took Liah all of ten minutes to understand the new layout. “I think she doesn’t even know that she’s different,” explains Carolin. “She‘s just a normal cat living a normal cat life, although she‘s very special for me.”
Even though people often pity cats with blindness, Carolin believes there’s no reason to feel sorry for Liah or other animals with special needs. Not only are blind cats capable of having very happy and active lives, they can be incredibly inspiring. “They don‘t suffer from their situation; there is no self-pity,” says Carolin. “They make the best out of it and are full of positive energy and joie de vivre.”
Sadly, Carolin’s partner — and the person who helped her rescue Liah — passed away last year, but she was able to turn to this special girl for comfort and inspiration. Not only did Liah help her mom cope with her grief, this beautiful blind cat now serves as a living memory of the many moments Carolin and her partner shared. “It was such a special time with her in Morocco, watching her getting better from day to day, fighting against all odds,” says Carolin.
While Liah may need to rely on her mom from time to time, she can always count on Carolin to be for there for her. In turn, Liah has proven that when Carolin needs someone to make her laugh, calm her down, or inspire her to take on a challenge, she can depend on her. “We have a very strong bond,” says Carolin. “Watching her mastering her every day life and just being a normal cat is a true inspiration. Liah is my soul cat.”
To learn more about this gorgeous cat, you can follow Liah on Instagram.
