Meet Twix

Twix is a gray tabby kitten who came to Candy's Cats with two eyes that didn't work the way they should. His right cornea had a hole in it. His left upper eyelid had never developed, a congenital condition called eyelid agenesis. He was in pain, and he was going blind.

Two surgeries so far

In August, surgeons at Elite Veterinary Specialists placed a 360-degree conjunctival graft over his right cornea to cover the perforation, and rebuilt his left upper eyelid using a graft from his lip.

A second surgery reconstructed his right eyelid and separated the graft tissue from his right cornea where it was safe to do so.

Both surgeries were paid for by people like you.

What the follow-up found

At his exam on October 19, the news was mixed. The perforation in his right cornea has healed, which is what the first surgery was for. But an ulcer remains and the cornea isn't fully healed. His left eye has improved a lot, though there's still a small gap when he tries to close it. Because his eyelid agenesis is severe, he stays at risk for more eye problems, and his vets recommended going back in.

October 28: the third surgery

Two procedures, one on each eye:

Left eye: a mucosal graft to further rebuild his eyelid so he can close his eye completely.
Right eye: another conjunctival graft over the corneal ulcer to protect and stabilize the cornea.

The goal is to give him the best chance at a healthy future, and possibly reduce his need for artificial tears for the rest of his life.

What it costs

The high end of the estimate is $1,600. That's the goal. If the final bill comes in under it, or you get us past it, the rest goes into our general fund, which is what pays for the next cat who comes in needing more than we budgeted for. That's our standing policy for every campaign we run, and it's on our website.

How to help

Give what you can here. Share this page with one person who likes cats. And if you're near Winter Garden on Saturday, October 24, Twix will be at PetSmart on Daniels Road from 11 to 3. Come meet him.

We'll post updates here as we get them: when he goes in on the 28th, once we've heard from the surgeon, and when he's back with his foster. Some of that may take a day or two, so if you don't see news right away, it just means we're waiting too.

Candy's Cats, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill cat rescue in Apopka, Florida. Twenty-one years, more than 8,500 cats. Donations are tax-deductible.

Twix's Third Surgery