Florida Couple Makes A Sad Discovery After Noticing Fragile Kitten Curled Up In Their Driveway

curled up fragile kitten

Joshua Hiebert and his partner, Jose Tortolero, are landscape designers passionate about sharing their gardening expertise on social media.

Their days are often spent in their garden, crafting stunning landscapes. But one seemingly ordinary day of gardening would soon take a turn that would change their lives forever.

curled up fragile kitten
Credit: Joshua Hiebert

As Joshua was cleaning the driveway, he noticed something odd near their garage door. It looked like something was curled up on the concrete, so he quickly went over to investigate.

What he saw shattered his heart. A tiny ginger kitten, curled up as though trying to hide from the harsh world around him.

kitten in the driveway
Credit: Joshua Hiebert

Joshua looked around for the kitten’s mother, but it seemed the little one had been left all alone. 

They carefully brought the tiny ginger furball into their garage, and that’s when they realized just how much he needed help.

kitten eating
Credit: Joshua Hiebert

The kitten’s eyes were badly infected, with crusty buildup surrounding them. Joshua gently offered him some water, but what the kitten did next completely broke their hearts.

The little one dipped his paw into the bowl, trying to gauge the depth of the water. The infection had already affected his vision, and it was clear to the couple that he needed to see a vet immediately.

blind kitten
Credit: Joshua Hiebert

The couple fed the tiny kitten and took him to the vet the following morning. The vet informed them that he would need to see an ophthalmologist to assess if his vision could be saved.

They quickly scheduled the appointment, and in the meantime, they focused on helping the kitten recover, giving him all the care he needed to regain his strength.

blind ginger kitten
Credit: Joshua Hiebert

Every morning, they carefully cleaned his infected eyes and made sure he had plenty of food. Just three days of love and attention turned the kitten into a playful little bundle of energy!

He began jumping around and playing, and with his new name, Whiskers, it was clear he had found his forever home.

Jose and Joshua were completely smitten with Whiskers, but sadly, his eye infection continued to worsen.

ginger kitten next to a bowl of food
Credit: Joshua Hiebert

The ophthalmologist prescribed a fresh round of antibiotics for Whiskers, but unfortunately, one of his eyes was beyond saving.

They had to surgically remove his left eye, and sadly, he lost all vision in his right eye as well. However, none of this stopped Whiskers from being the happiest cat around.

With his loving new dads and his wonderful forever home, Whiskers was finally able to live his life as a joyful and healthy cat!

Joshua and Jose shower him with affection and are so thankful Whiskers chose their driveway as his place of refuge. Thanks to this amazing couple, Whiskers was given a second chance at life.

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