Meet Jasper: The Hairless Cat With No Eyes

Source: © Shutterstock

Every now and then an animal is born that is so unique that the world seems to fall in love with them. One of the most interesting cats is a hairless named Jasper. He has captured the hearts of those who flock to his Instagram pictures to take a look at him and marvel at his resilience. He was born a normal cat who experienced some life changing events a few years back that have actually made him somewhat of a celebrity figure. He has an interesting story that is worth hearing.

Who is Jasper?

Jasper doesn’t look like an average cat, and some don’t think he looks like a cat at all, but he is definitely a feline. He is a hairless breed so he doesn’t have a fluffy fur coat. Instead you see his wrinkly skin. Perhaps more incredible is the fact that he has no eyes. When his owners first received Jasper, he was a gift from a friend who knew he owner Kelli wanted to have a hairless cat. The rescue pet appeared normal and healthy, but he developed a serious eye condition that caused corneal ulcers to develop. These were caused by a feline herpes virus. In 2013 the ulcers and ensuing pain began and he lost his first eye. In 2018, the same thing happened to his remaining eye and the only choice that the vet had to relieve the pain was to remove the other eye. Although Jasper is completely blind, he gets around well and his other senses have kicked in to help compensate for his lack of eyesight. He still climbs and explores and enjoys his life. Jasper is a truly remarkable cat that has been with his owner for 11 years and he’s living a happy life despite the struggles he’s had to cope with and overcome.

Jasper has become a celebrity kitty

Jasper’s owner is so impressed with him that she made an Instagram account for him to show her amazing cat off to the world. He gained instant success and a bit of fame amassing more than 77,000 followers on the site. The majority of comments have been positive because he is so darned cute and brave. So many viewers have been blessed by learning Jasper’s story.

He enjoys a good quality of life

One of the remarks made suggested that without vision his quality of life is low, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Jasper lives in a loving home and he is very capable of doing most of the things that he enjoys. He’s not in any danger from predators because he is kept inside and he has a guardian angel named Kelli who keeps a watchful eye over him as he goes about living his life.

Jasper is an inspiration

This incredible cat has a very touching life story, but it’s far from over. It’s a very good thing that his owner saw fit to share his story with the world on social media because he sets a great example for us all. Life doesn’t always turn out the way that we want it to and when things seem to be bad, there are usually a lot of blessings to go along with the difficulties. It can be hard to see them if we get hung up on what we’ve lost instead of what we have at the moment. Losing his eyesight doesn’t seem to faze Jasper. He is just happy to play and enjoy living in a loving household. He’s a fortunate guy to have a good home and excellent health care provided. Not all pets with health issues are this lucky.

Animal disabilities can bring you closer together

A pet that depends on you to help out when there is a major deficit like Jasper’s can still live a happy and content life. There are many other instance of cats and dogs with disabling conditions who go on to live long and healthy lives. Consider how many manufacturers design and sell adaptive equipment for pets. Instead of putting dogs down who lose a leg, or even two, many owners have custom carts built with wheels to help them get around more independently. There are more example and these serve as inspirations to think twice before having a beloved pet euthanized. When we consider quality of life, if an animal is not in pain and derives enjoyment from their lives, the likelihood that he is happy to be alive is high. Jasper has shown the world that he is happy to still be alive and doing the things that he enjoys. There are some modifications that can help disabled pets to function very well, keeping them closer than ever to loving owners.

Conclusion

Jasper has a unique story and he is a very special cat. He shows the kind of spirit that is necessary to overcome adversity, and in the current dark times of pandemic with high death and illness tolls, we can all use a human interest story to give us the inspiration to carry on. This cat doesn’t waste time being angry for his loss of vision, nor for his dependence on his owner, which isn’t much more than it was before. Instead, he finds things to do that he finds enjoyable and he continues to enjoy a happy and healthy life. How much better would the world around us be if we could find a way to adopt this attitude in our own lives? Sometimes animals have a lot to teach us about what it really means to live our lives without worrying about the things we don’t have, and being happy with the things we do have. It’s no wonder that so many social media visitors pay tribute to this amazing hairless cat with no eyes named Jasper.

You can also read:

• An Engineer Trained His Cat to Put Out Fires
• Mini Cameras Show Pet Cats Bring Home Very Little Creatures They Kill
• Badly Burned Cat Recovers and Reunites with Family that Lost Home
• This Might Be the Most Pampered Cat in the World
• World’s Most Elaborate “Cat Up A Tree” Rescue Ends After Three Days