In January 2018, Julia Henning took her adorable foster kitten with congenital glaucoma in for emergency surgery to get her eye removed. Not certain if this kitten would survive, doctors hoped for the best.
Congenital glaucoma is a severe condition that causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve. In cats, it is an inherited genetic condition that causes blindness.
Nina’s surgery
The strong-willed kitten, beat the odds and survived the surgery at less than one pound. Anticipating the kitten would need to spend the night and recover, mom Julia patiently waited to hear back from the vet.
Unexpectedly, Nina’s foster mother was asked to pick up the strong-spirited kitten the same day. Not only did the feisty kitten survive the procedure, but her rambunctious spirit was too much for the staff to handle.
In recovery, Nina wanted to play. She created quite the distraction among the vet techs post-surgery.
Although blind, she already felt better and on the mend. In a heartwarming YouTube video, Julia recounts how Nina’s recovery changed her life from that day forward.
Blindness is not the end, just the beginning.
By the springtime, Julia had adopted Nina officially. Nina grew into a confident cat.
Despite her blindness, Nina maneuvered about the house on her own. She proved to be quite intelligent and clever.
She even figured out how to climb the house screen door and open it independently. Consequently, Julia learned to keep it locked to avoid the other cats from escaping.
On the move
Despite Nina’s blindness, she’s fearless. She does not let anything stop her.Â
One of her favorite activities to partake in with her mom is visiting the local market weekly. This curious kitty loves all the smells of the foods in the market, people, and knick nacks nearby.
Nina’s adventures outside the home don’t end at the market. She also goes exploring out in nature.
This blind cat likes to explore the beach and the forest. She loves to run about in the woods among the trees and listen to the sounds of the birds.
Her brother Edward, who Julia also adopted, has given Nina the added companionship and quality of life her mom wanted for her.Â
Lessons learned
Raising Nina, Julia has learned that taking her curious cat outside the house was the best decision she could make for her quality of life. Combined with being an explorer cat, Nina lives a full life, despite her blindness.Â
In a world where we often only use our eyes to absorb our surroundings, Nina has shown what it means to live life to the fullest without limitations.
You can keep up with Nina, the blind explorer cat, on her Instagram page.
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