This story began some time ago, but is a wonderful tale of how loving and trusting a less than perfect animal can give back to that animal a quality of life that might be thought quite impossible.

The Tale of Miracle Boy by Shirley Willett

‘In November 1985 I delivered a litter of five bi-colour kittens – all boys. One of them looked different. He had no eyes. He was a beautiful red and white harlequin. Friends said “don’t destroy him; wait until the rest of the litter kittens open their eyes and then you’ll know for sure”. By the time this happened, as he was otherwise healthy, I felt he deserved the chance of a life. Since that time he has grown into the most loveable, beautiful cat I have ever owned.

As a kitten he did everything that all the others did, but was too active a climber for his own good. He would climb to the highest level he could and after that he would just jump straight out – maybe thinking he was superman-cat – often hitting a table or other furniture on the way down. After a few accidents, he grew out of this and now takes more care. He climbs trees too, always coming down backwards, thank goodness.

I always try to stay one jump ahead of him. Like a toddler he has to be watched at all times in order that any number of mishaps are prevented. It is hard to remember the amazing number of brave ventures that he has gone through, life is complicated for a sightless cat. He is always full of surprised with his incredible awareness and curiosity, ever ready to investigate anything new in the house, and you can always count on him to be at the centre of anything that is going on of interest at any time.

When you suddenly discover him in an open suitcase or drawer or on top of the toilet cistern and you say to him in surprise:

“What are you doing there? What a clever boy you are, Miracle!” he then looks for all the world as though he too, is proud of this exploit – turning his head towards my voice, arching his back and lifting his tail. If a cat could be said to have a smile all over his face, then Miracle Boy looks as if he is grinning from ear to ear!

At home all day he goes up and down the back steps to the garden and comes inside when he feels like it. He has no fear of anyone, and usually greets people when they come to the front door.

I have taken him to other people’s homes where he wanders around, avoiding hitting the furniture and unerringly finding the litter tray no matter where he is. Generally speaking he seems to have built-in antennae. His hearing and sense of smell appear to be far more developed than in other cats. Everyone who knows him says: “He’s a little miracle” and this indeed is the name I gave him, right back at the beginning. He is quite simply my Miracle Boy.

The real trouble with Miracle Boy is that he always followed his brothers around, getting up to the same tricks & mischief as the rest of them. He seemed to think he was no different. When he was six months old he had to have a lump cut out of his shoulder, and a smaller one out of his nostril. The vet removed the lump from his shoulder without any injection and just a small one for his nose, but he never complained. Twice every day his eye sockets had to be washed as they ran dark stains all the time, although they were completely closed. He never got upset about this either. He never gets upset about anything.

As I am writing this he has climbed up onto the back of my chair in order to lick my hair. He is purring at the same time and any moment now his paws will come around my neck. Miracle loves to go out into the back gardens, through two doors and down four steps. I never leave him long without checking. He constantly amazes me. There is a tree out there where the honeybirds take their honey, and after they have done that they drop each flower to the ground. Miracle sits up and often appears to be “looking” as each flower falls, and he will go over to it, exactly where it has dropped on the grass and lick it. I call him sticky beak. I have to keep the lawns cut short as he chases the bees on the clover flowers and I am afraid he will get stung.

There 's not a thing that goes on in this house that he doesn't check out. When a litter of kittens are being born, always in a box, Miracle will sit on the coffee table and watch the whole business, looking into the box. Sorry, but what can I say, he just seems to have sight.

Miracle loves to play with the kittens, once they are about 7 weeks old. When my last litter was all sold, he went looking for them, making his special little sound, calling them. I felt so sorry for him.

All day I talk to him and even find I'm explaining things to him, some people will say"she's mad" I'm not I'm happy. And so I believe is my boy and all my other cats. When I go to cat shows, Miracle has to be shut in the bedroom for safety, stools etc have to be away from higher furniture, other things removed. I don't want an accident, like the one he had as a little tot.

There was a high scratching post which all the kittens loved to climb. Cobweb, Miracle’s special friend, would get up the top and call down to him, he'd then clamber up there with her, I used to turn him around and make him come down backwards. One day he went up and lay down, I thought he was going to have a cat nap, so turned my head. I immediately heard a huge thump. He had jumped straight out, not down, and hit the edge of a heavy coffee table. He lay motionless. I picked him up, crying:

"Please don't be dead, don’t die Miracle!" It was dreadful. But very slowly he started to move and he recovered. That night the scratching post was cut in two.

To-day is Miracle's Birthday – he is two years old. He is looking quite beautiful, so white, long silken coat, like his Dad's, and he grown a lot in the last 6 months. Often I look at him, & feel so sad knowing that one day I shall lose him. How empty I shall be without this little Miracle.’ © Shirley Willett

Postscript and sadly, so she did. He was born in November 1985 and he died in May 1988 but this story is a wonderful testament to the love that a brave impaired animal can give in return for love given to him.

Shirley Willett who lives in New South Wales where she breeds and shows Devon Rexes, Persians and Exotics, but who used to live in Sunnymeads,Wraysbury, Bucks. Her website can be found here.