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AssetID: 31205828

Headline: Stray Cat Who Couldn't See Surprises Rescuer After Revealing Incredible Beauty Of His Eyes

Caption: Last year (16), Cotton the cat was sick. He was suffering from mange - a parasitic skin disease that causes itching, hair loss and scabbing - and his eyes were crusted over so much that he couldn’t open them at all. Stranded, homeless and alone Cotton was found roaming the streets of Royal Palm Beach, Florida by a passer by. The man who spotted Cotton said Cotton started eating from a bowl of food he had put out for his cat and seemed “very hungry, like he had not eaten in days.” Unable to take Cotton in himself, the stranger shared a post on Facebook asking for someone to home the cat. Carmen Weinberg, founder of Animal Friends Project, reached out. As soon as Cotton was in her care, Weinberg took Cotton straight to the vet; “Early the next morning, I drove to pick him up. I took him immediately to my vet… and they confirmed that he was suffering from mange.” Cotton was also severely dehydrated and malnourished, but even in his bedraggled state the feline's loving spirit was pretty obvious. “He purred the whole time they were examining him,” Carmen said, adding that he immediately got along with her family. The biggest surprise of all though came when Cotton finally opened his eyes again - revealing that he had one blue and one yellow eye. Cotton is now up for adoption and looking for a permanent home. "He’s affectionate, but would do better in a home with no young kids due to his predilection for giving “love bites,” Weinberg said. “Cotton loves attention,” she added. “He is very vocal and comes to you asking for love … He could get overstimulated and give love bites but he usually controls himself.” Those interested in adopting him can use the following contacts: carmen@animalfriendsproject.org or fill out an application at www.animalfriendsproject.org.

Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,cat,story,sad,matt,matted,fur,stray,found,animal,rescue,rescued,white cat,eyes

PersonInImage: Cotton