LIVING up to her warrior namesake, Rangnar the blind kitten has won many battles in her young life, along with countless hearts on the Bluff.
Found in Isipingo and brought in to the Second Chance Cat Sanctuary on the Bluff on 24 December 2015, Ragnar was suffering from an untreated viral infection. The infection had caused both eyes of the kitten, believed to be about four-weeks-old at the time, to prolapse.
“I have seen a lot of bad things dealing with injured or sick cats, but this was the worst I have ever seen,” said Second Chance Sanctuary founder, Cherece Du Plessis.
Many people counselled her to euthanase Ragnar because her life would most likely be complicated and surgery was risky.
“I believe in giving strong names to cats in need to help push them through, so I named her Ragnar, a Norse name meaning warrior or goddess,” said Cherece, who refused to give up on the kitten and made it her mission to get her healthy enough for surgery.
When Ragnar was taken to the Second Chance Cat Sanctuary, she weighed about 300 grams and needed to weigh about 500g for the surgery. With Cherece’s care and the support of the veterinary doctors, this was made possible. Finally, on 29 December 2015 the hour-and-a-half hour surgery was successfully completed by Drs Swarts and Morris at Brighton Beach Veterinary Clinic.
Despite contracting pneumonia, Ragnar remained strong and over time healed. Now eight-weeks-old, she has developed into a strong and confident animal with astounding hearing capabilities.
“She has been great throughout. She always played and ate; she ate a lot. Now, she confidently walks around from my cottage to the main house where I live. She rarely walks in to anything. And her hearing is amazing – she can even hear a cat walking past the house.”
While researching Ragnar’s condition, Cherece found other cats around the globe had suffered from prolapsed eyeballs. Since then, Ragnar has gained worldwide fame and locals have come to relish every photo and video of her posted on social media, eagerly posting comments and asking about her latest adventures.
Her veterinary bills were covered by donations from people who followed her journey from the beginning and have spread her story around the globe.
The support we have received has been amazing. Thank you to everyone for the love, support and donations and to Drs Swarts and Morris for their help. Just because an animal has a disability doesn’t mean they can’t live life to the fullest.”
The Second Chance Cat Sanctuary was started in 2008 by Cherece and her mother, Anette. The team helps rescue and rehome abused or abandoned cats and they are a feline aids and leukemia positive shelter.
Donations can be made to the sanctuary via the Brighton Veterinary Clinic or by going to the non-profit organisation’s website, www.secondchancecats.org.
