Kitten Born Without Eyelids Will See

A homeless kitten born without upper eyelids is seeing with new eyes after successful surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center.

The MSPCA-Angell announced Wednesday that “Phil,” as the staffers named him, is recovering at the organization’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center (Boston ACAC).

Alyssa Krieger, the Boston ACAC manager, first came across Phil at the Boston Animal Shelter and Adoption Center in Roslindale, MA in late-November. She agreed to take the kitten back to the MSPCA and booked a consultation with Dr. Martin Coster of the Angell Ophthalmology team.

Boston.com reported that Dr. Coster agreed to perform surgery to repair the condition, which is known as agenesis. The kitten, at the age of 3 months, is too young to be blind but would have become blind over time as the condition developed. Phil rather endured extreme irritation.

“A cat’s upper eyelid is very similar in form and function to the tissue in their lip,” he said. “By taking some tissue from Phil’s lip and attaching it to the muscles that enable him to blink, we can, in effect, reconstruct his missing eyelids.”

The surgery, which was paid for through the MSPCA’s Spike’s Fund, was performed on December 9. Phil was taken in by Krieger at the MSPCA along with his “best feline friend” Vixen.

Phil will continue to heal until he and Vixen are placed for adoption together in time for the holidays.

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Photos via Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center (MSPCA).