Watch: Homeless Kitten Gets Adopted

Phil, a kitten who was born without upper eyelids, warmed hearts a month ago when he received sight-saving surgery. The surgery was the critter’s Christmas gift and now he starts 2015 with a new home.

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center announced Thursday that Phil is being adopted by a loving family in Brookline, MA.

The surgery Phil received was carried out back in December. He had a condition called agenesis, which caused extreme eye irritation and would have resulted in blindness over time as the three-month-old kitten got older.

“The tissue of the upper lip, as it so happens, is similar in form and function to eyelid tissue,” said Rob Halpin, MSPCA-Angell Public Relations Director. “Dr. Coster of Angell’s Ophthalmology team surgically removed some of the lip tissue and attached it to the muscles of the eyelid.”

Halpin also said there will be no long-term damage to Phil’s lips or mouth.

Phil was taken in after the surgery, alongside “best feline friend” Vixen, to await adoption. They were then separated so Phil’s wounds could heal. Now the pair, happily reunited, is joining the Vazirani family in Brookline.

Photo via MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center. From left: five-year-old Maxx, mom Sarah and four-year-old Dia pictured with their new fuzzy friend Phil. Vixen was still recovering from being spayed when the photo was taken.

Vixen grooms Phil in the MSCPA-Angell video below: