Update: Doug is on the road to recovery! The playful fella will soon be ready to find a loving home. He thanks you for your donations that covered his vet bills and ongoing care. The shelter also wanted to thank you, "Please know that your support is deeply appreciated, and we could not do this important work without your help. Your kindness and compassion for animals is truly inspiring and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are so grateful for you!"

A four-month-old kitten named Doug had a rough start to life. The little feline was in poor health and then discarded on January 25th by his cruel owner by being thrown over an 8-foot fence into the yard of Waukegan Animal Control.

Doug was afraid and needed immediate medical attention. Staff at Waukegan Animal Control reached out to Purrfect Cat Rescue who agreed to take him in and get him the care he needed.

He was rushed to a veterinary clinic.

Photo: Purrfect Cat Rescue

"Doug's eyes were crusted over and cloudy, with double eye infections and corneal ulcers, particularly severe in his right eye. Additionally, there was inflammation and infection behind the cornea, and he was suffering from a severe respiratory illness. Despite being thrown over the fence, miraculously, there were no other visible injuries," the rescue told us.

The vet recommended an eye specialist to evaluate Doug's eyes and provided some medication in the meantime. A loving foster home was found to care for the sweet feline. His devoted foster mom applied eye medication 12 times a day and gave oral antibiotics to alleviate his respiratory illness and internal eye infections.

The rescue made an appointment with the specialist who discovered that Doug is blind in one eye, likely born that way, but there is still hope for the other eye. New medications were prescribed and are being administered by his foster family.

They reached out to Greater Good Charities' Emergency Animal Medical Fund for assistance with the accumulating vet bills. Their focus is on saving and helping as many cats as possible but are unable to do it alone. After purchasing cat food and basic supplies, little or nothing is left for medical expenses.

That is why the Emergency Animal Medical Fund was started to provide grants to animal shelters and rescues to cover the costs of emergency surgery and medical care.

Photo: Purrfect Cat Rescue

"While we focus on improving Doug's sighted eye, we're also monitoring his blind eye for any issues. If it becomes weepy and tears excessively, we may need to consider surgery to remove it. However, for now, we'll just continue to keep a close eye on it," shared the rescue.

Doug doesn't let his poor eyesight slow him down. He is a typical kitten that loves to play with stuffed mice and snuggle with his foster mom.

Help us meet our goal of $1,200 to help Doug retain his sight. Your support will not only give Doug hope to keep fighting, but your donations will help cover his costly medication and the ongoing care he will need to continue to see.