Winkle has more friends than he could ever know. We sent out a plea for little Winkle who needed immediate surgery to remove his left eye, and the response was overwhelming. Thanks to your generous support, not only did Winkle get his surgery, but we were also able to help Buzz, another kitten in need of immediate veterinary care.

In case you missed our story earlier in August, Winkle is a very friendly and sweet 12 week old kitten who came into our program partially blind and in significant pain from glaucoma in his left eye. Glaucoma in a kitten his age is rare, and his doctor suspected that it was caused by a blunt force trauma to his head or, less likely, cancer. He recommended removing Winkle's left eye to relieve the pressure behind it, eliminating Winkle's pain.

Winkle's surgery was a success. On August 5th, Dr. Steinmetz at Mill Plain Veterinary Hospital in Danbury removed Winkle's left eye without complications. We did a biopsy on Winkle's eye to rule out juvenile cancer. The good news that Winkle did not have cancer arrived five days later.

	Left: Winkle, a few days after surgery
	Left: Winkle with his buddy, Lambie in the background, and his favorite toy, a ping pong ball.

At our first recheck, Winkle's speedy recovery wasn't the only thing the vet staff found amazing. They couldn't help but remark on what a happy, loving and trusting kitten Winkle was. He purred non-stop during the exam! And they are right. Despite the bad breaks he's had in his short life, Winkle is one of the sweetest, friendliest and happiest kittens we've ever known.

It was around this time that we learned about Buzz, a feral kitten who had been rescued by our friends Jeanne and Dot. A nutritional malformity had caused Buzz's eye not to grow to proper size, and to prevent future infection, Buzz needed to have the left eye removed.

Left: Buzz, a few days before rescue.

Thanks to your generous donations to The Animal Center's Angel Fund and a deep discount from the vet staff at Mill Plain Veterinary Hospital, not only were we able to pay for Winkle's surgery, but Buzz's, too!

How are the boys doing now?
Buzz was given a clean bill of health and the green light to be adopted on August 20th.

Winkle, unfortunately, encountered a minor setback. A week after Winkle's surgery, just as all seemed to be going perfectly for our little kitten, we found a tiny, suspicious looking scab on Winkle's ear. It turns out that Winkle had been exposed to ringworm prior to coming into our program and had been "carrying" it without showing any signs. The stress of the surgery had apparently triggered a mild case of ringworm to form on his ears.

No big deal. After all that Winkle has been through, a mild case of ringworm isn't anything he can't kick!

Ringworm is a common fungal infection (it's not a worm), and is not deadly in any way. There is no vaccine to cure ringworm in cats, but there are very effective topicals and systemic antifungal drugs to treat it, such as Itraconazole, which is what Winkle's doctor has prescribed for him.

Because ringworm is contagious to people and other animals, Winkle needs to be on his medication until September 2nd before getting adopted. And we're hoping that in the meantime we can count on your help spreading the word that the sweetest one-eyed kitten that ever walked this earth needs a home!

We know that at some shelters special needs animals like Winkle would not have made it this far, but at The Animal Center it's different. We believe in giving second chances to those who need them. And we know you feel this way, too.

Best news of all: Winkle found a home! Winkle was adopted on October 4th. Here's an update from his new family:

"Winkle (who has been renamed Leopold) is ours; he adores his crinkly toys and his kitty jungle gym and his baby wubba. He does that funky little sideways kitty hop when he’s particularly happy. He eats with gusto and sleeps like a baby. His enormous feet and long tail portend a certain regal air appropriate for a cat called Leo. We’ll never know for sure what happened to him, but when he looks up at us and talks before tearing around and around again, it’s clear that he knows we’re his loving humans, and he’s our boy. He'll only know love. Winkle is home." --Elissa & Susan Bottom: Quinn M., Leo's new best friend and next door neighbor, gets a smooch. 10/2009

To help us continue our rescue work for special needs animals, please considering making a donation to The Animal Center's Angel Fund. This fund was set up to help us pay veterinary expenses for very sick or injured animals. 100% of your donation goes toward veterinary care.