The Story of Caitlin

When Caitlin was found in Thorntown, IN in the summer of July 2020, she was in rough shape. She was born with an extremely rare eye condition called Microphthalmia, in which both of her eyes were very small and underdeveloped. She was around 3-4 weeks old and her litter mates had already died. 

Under the care of the Humane Society for Boone County, Caitlin started to receive treatment. She was fostered by Dawn Walker and Anne Oberg who helped bring her back to health. “Her eyes required daily cleaning, ointment, and eye drops twice a day. Other than that, she was just like any other kitten. Caitlin was very adventurous and loving, and she navigated my house like a champ!” Anne said. Because of how small her eye sockets were, a lot of things such as dirt would get trapped in them. The Humane Society decided that it would be best to remove her eyes completely, so they performed a surgery on her to give Caitlin her best chance.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Schenkel happened to be looking on the Humane Society for Boone County’s website just for fun. “It was a totally random thing. I just was curious to see what animals were at nearby shelters,” Jennifer said. After looking at the available cats, Caitlin immediately caught Jennifer’s eye. The following day, Jennifer decided to show pictures of some available shelter cats to her daughter, Gracen, to see what she thought. Gracen immediately pointed to Caitlin’s picture and said, “That one!” Jennifer told her that Caitlin was a pretty special cat, because she was blind. Gracen’s response was, “Oh my gosh, Mommy! Now we HAVE to get her!” 

Within 24 hours, Jennifer had filled out a meet and greet form, and was at the shelter with Gracen ready to meet Caitlin. “I think it was meant to be that we were looking on that website that day for sure,” Jennifer said. After Caitlin’s surgery, the family adopted her into their home.

Being a blind cat hasn’t stopped Caitlin one bit from enjoying life! She is very smart and has her own way of communicating with her family. She even loves going on walks and has a very sassy personality. “If we get on her about something, she always has to have the last word!” Jennifer said. “She is very persistent when she wants fed.” Because Caitlin can’t see daylight, she will often meow at Jennifer during the night thinking it’s time for food. Jennifer and Caitlin have a very special bond, but Caitlin also has a very special bond with Gracen. They love to cuddle together, and Gracen will often pick her up and carry her around like a baby. She even has her own cat stroller! Caitlin is the perfect addition to their family.

According to the Schenkel’s, Caitlin has been an absolute blessing on their lives. When they first got her, the family had recently moved to a new town and were going through the divorce process. The weeks that Gracen isn’t with Jennifer, Caitlin is her best friend. “I love having someone to care for and nurture, and she does the same to me,” Jennifer said. “She’s definitely filled a void and come into our lives at the perfect time.”

From being the last sickly kitten alive in her litter to becoming a best friend and wonderful family pet, Caitlin is truly an amazing cat. She has overcome all odds and has never let anything bring her down. With the help of her family, she is able to live every single day knowing she is loved and cared for despite her disability.

“She’s helped us more than we’ve helped her.”

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