Without his devoted brother by his side, Specks probably wouldn’t have made it.
The poorly black kitten was found huddled up with sibling, Dot, in a west London garden, as the pair desperately battled to keep warm in the grip of winter.
As well as being freezing cold, filthy and frightened, the four-month-old brothers were hungry, underweight and covered in fleas. Sadly, Specks was also suffering with health problems which made him even more vulnerable.
Thankfully, a kind member of the public brought the duo to our Hammersmith animal hospital in London just in time, and they were soon transferred to our flagship Victoria site nearby for further vet treatment.
Specks was found to have cataracts covering both eyeballs, leaving him with little to no vision. He was also diagnosed with a nervous system disorder called cerebellar ataxia, which causes loss of balance, shaking and wobbly movements.
Due to this, it’s unlikely that Specks would have survived without the support he had from Dot, explained Amanda Rumball, London Welfare Officer for Blue Cross.
“It was lucky that these brothers were found when they were and brought into Blue Cross,” she said.
“I don’t think Specks would have survived without Dot. He cannot see, and his condition means that he would have been very easy prey. He would have been unaware of dangers around him like traffic, wild animals and cold weather.
“Dot was found huddled up with his brother and I really think he stayed with Specks because he knew how much he needed him. He could have left him, but he never did.”
“We don’t know how long they were there, but it’s so heart-warming that he stayed with his brother,” added Amanda.
