Cat McAuliffe
When Noelle saw an Instagram post Beth Stern had shared about her partially blind foster kitten, Callie, she immediately felt drawn to the little calico cat. “She had an uncanny resemblance to our 15-year-old cat, Fluffy,” explains Noelle. “Their coloring and marking were nearly identical.”
In fact, the kitten looked so much like Fluffy, Noelle showed Callie’s picture to her husband in late 2019. Like Noelle, he thought the kitten strongly resembled their senior cat, but he didn’t seem particularly interested in the young feline.
Consequently, when he asked Noelle a few days later if she had contacted Beth Stern about the little special needs kitten, she was very surprised. “I nearly fell over,” remembers Noelle. “Was he agreeing to another cat?!”
After all, the couple already had several cats, including Wilson, a handsome black and white blind feline. However, when Noelle realized her husband was serious about adopting Callie, she immediately reached out to Beth Stern to learn more about the beautiful three-month-old kitten.
“Callie was born with one partially formed eye and another completely scarred over,” says Noelle, leaving her completely blind in her left eye and with partial sight in her right. “She was one of eight in her litter, and three died upon birth. The remaining five were either born with no eyes, one eye, or eyes that were not completely formed.”
While all of Callie’s siblings had found homes, she was at risk of being taken to a shelter. Thankfully, Alisse Russell, the Executive Director of PUFF Cat Rescue, intervened, finding a short-term rescue for the special needs kitten. “We got in touch with Beth through email and asked if she was aware of any fosters who could take her,” remembers Alissa. “She got back to us and said she would take Callie herself, so we made a plan to transfer her the following week!”
After learning how Callie how ended up in her foster home, Noelle also discovered that she would eventually need to have her left eye removed, because it was susceptible to infection. Thankfully, Noelle wasn’t the least bit put off by the idea of having a one-eyed cat with limited vision. “Everyone wants a perfect kitten,” explains Noelle. “I want the ones no one wants.”
The couple’s adoption application was approved, and on December 3, 2019, Callie arrived at her new home with Noelle and her husband on the Jersey Shore. “I took her out of the carrier, and held and kissed her,” remembers Noelle. “I cried happy tears and she immediately began to purr.”
However, Noelle wasn’t the only one who shed tears of joy when Callie found her forever home. “I cried a little by when I saw who adopted her,” says Alisse from PUFF Cat Rescue. “I really don’t think there would have been a better home for her in the end!”
Noelle was instantly smitten with the little special needs kitten, and her love for Callie only grew stronger as she discovered just how resilient and full of life she was. “Within hours she was running around the house like she’d lived here for years,” says Noelle. “She acclimated faster than any other cat.”
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Initially, the plan was to wait three months to have Callie’s left eye removed, and she was supposed to be spayed at the same time she had the surgery.
By March 2020, Callie was healthy enough to undergo the procedures, but the United States — especially New Jersey and its neighboring states — was grappling with the COVID-19 crisis. “It pushed the surgeries back several months, which also led to her eye and spay surgery having to be done independently of one another,” explains Noelle.
Fortunately, Callie recovered quickly from both procedures, and today this gorgeous girl is doing great! While doctors believe the vision in her remaining eye is very limited, Callie doesn’t let it stop her from having an extremely happy and active life. “Callie does everything my two-eyed cats can do,” says Noelle. “Callie runs up and down stairs and jumps on counters and beds. There is really nothing Callie can’t do.”
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Like a typical cat, Callie loves to play, especially with her brother Winston, who is completely blind, as well as with her favorite wand toy. This adorable calico cat also adores racing around her house — “As fast her little legs will take her,” says Noelle — although Callie’s limited vision occasionally makes this a bit challenging. “Her sight is quite limited and at times becomes an obstacle for her navigating and reaching for things.”
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Thankfully, Callie doesn’t let this stop her from having a good time. Plus, she’s not in any pain, and her life is filled with lots of happiness, fun, and love. However, Noelle has found that when people see Callie for the first time, they often feel sorry for her, but she insists there’s no reason to pity this gorgeous girl. “There is absolutely nothing to feel sad about,” says Noelle.
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By sharing Callie’s story, Noelle hopes more people will realize animals are incredibly adaptable, and blind and partially sighted cats really aren’t that different from their sighted counterparts. “As long as you love them, they will love you back,” says Noelle.
Fortunately for Callie, she is absolutely adored by both of her parents, and it’s obvious this sweet and affectionate girl loves Noelle and her husband just as much as they love her. “I have two human children and five feline children,” says Noelle. “She’s the baby in the home and I do find myself ‘babying’ her more than the others. I adore her — what’s there not to love?”
To learn more about this gorgeous cat, you can follow Callie on Instagram.
