Kitten Siblings Who Both Lost an Eye After Surviving Tornado Seek New Home

Two kitten siblings who were left homeless and fighting for their lives after a devastating tornado have made a miraculous recovery.

The ASPCA estimates that around 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters across the U.S. every year. Those felines often find themselves fighting not only for space but for the attention of potential adopters.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that shelter animals have a small window of time to impress any potential suitors. A 2014 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that prospective pet owners enjoy focused interaction with just one animal per visit and that these interactions last an average of just eight minutes.

But shelter pets are worth so much more than that. Each one has been on a journey. For Poppy and Lilly, it's a journey that saw them overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to get even this far.

In April, Alley Cat Allies, a nonprofit animal welfare organization, was busy providing support in the wake of the devastating tornadoes that had struck Oklahoma.

Poppy and Lilly were two tiny kittens, a tuxedo and tabby, that were somehow rescued from the disaster. They were in a bad way, though.

Found without their mother, the two small felines were barely clinging to life. Both were struggling with upper respiratory infections and badly infected eyes.

Thankfully, Alley Cat Allies' disaster relief grant covered the costs of Poppy and Lilly's care, as it did for many other cats and kittens caught in the crossfire of this natural disaster.

But survival for both came at a cost. Each kitten had one eye that veterinarians determined had to be removed. Despite this, both felines have made a full recovery and are now ready to head out into the world with a new forever family.

Coryn Julien, communications director for Alley Cat Allies, told Newsweek: "Poppy and Lilly have long, happy lives ahead of them, and we're proud to have been part of their journey."

The loss of an eye has done little to dampen the cats' spirits or sense of adventure. That's hardly a surprise because one-eyed cats and kittens are known to adapt very well to this kind of setback.

For now, all of the staffers at Alley Cat Allies are happy to have played a role in helping these two kittens recover from such a traumatic experience and forge ahead with a bright future.

The aim now is to get them to that final destination: a new, safe place to call home.

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