Regina shelter helping blind 'Oracle' find way to a better future

The Regina Humane Society is rallying support to help a little orange tabby born with eyes so tiny she can't see.

When Oracle arrived at the shelter after being found at an industrial site on Nov. 15, workers noticed she appeared to have no eyes.

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"Obviously she couldn't see so she was very fearful and such, and trying to defend her little dark world," said RHS marketing and communications director Bill Thorn.

Born this way

RHS veterinary staff examined the kitten and found she has a condition called Microphtalmia, meaning she was born with non-functioning eyes that are so small they are barely visible.

The shelter has started a Gofundme page to fundraisethe $4,000 it needs to get her surgery and other veterinary care.

The surgery won't help Oracle see asshe's completely blind. Thorn said she needs it to prevent infection.

"If nothing was done, the odds are very good that she would get a very serious infection at some point, which could be deadly for her even," he said.

Oracle is currently too small to have the surgery, having weighed just .71 kilograms when she arrived at the shelter.

Learning to be a kitten

In the meantime, Oracle is being cared for by a foster family that is trying to help her overcome her fear and anxiety around humans.

Thorn said she had already come a long way and was starting to play and learn to "be a kitten."

Animals with injuries or conditions like Oracle's usually recovered to have a fairly normal life, he added.

"She doesn't know that she's blind," said Thorn.

"She's never known anything different. She doesn't know that she's different from other cats."

He expects she will be ready for surgery in January, after which she will be looking for a permanent home.