Don’t take animals like Ana at face value

A unique kitten named Ana is struggling to find a home and staff at Battersea Dog and cats Home fear it may be due to her unconventional looks.

In an age where an increasing number of people want photogenic pets, four-month-old Ana, who was born with a cleft lip and lost her right eye at only a few weeks old, may not meet some people’s picture-perfect criteria.

The Domestic Short-hair arrived at Battersea in December when she was only seven weeks old, and it was immediately clear to staff that Ana was a special kitten that would require extra care.

Alongside her cleft lift, Battersea’s vets discovered that Ana suffered from a rare congenital abnormality where one of her eyeballs was underdeveloped, and they had to remove it to ease Ana’s discomfort.

Battersea’s cattery manager, Rachel Saunders, said: “It is such a shame when people take animals at face value when searching for a new pet, rather than looking beyond their appearance to find unique quirks and personalities.

“As well as her distinctive face, Ana is a black cat and too many people still have misconceptions and superstitions about that particular colour.

We think she’s beautiful just the way she is, because the things that make an animal different are what makes them special.

Rescue animals may not be perfect, but they’re certainly worth it, and soft and playful Ana is a fantastic example of this.”

At Battersea, there is such high demand for kittens all year round, that they will usually have owners lined up waiting to whisk the fluffy little bundles off to their new homes the minute they get the call to say their new pet is ready.

Meanwhile poor Ana got the green light to go to a new home almost three weeks ago but has yet to meet any potential new owners.

Rachel added; “As with any rescue animal, Ana deserves a fresh start and has a lot to offer as a pet.

She’s had a tough start to life, but she’s definitely still got eight of her nine lives left to live and we hope that her luck is about to change for the better.

She may not have 20/20 vision, but we believe that this will be her year.”

Ana is staying with a foster carer until a home has been found for her, so anyone interested in meeting her will need to speak to a member of the Cattery team.

To find out more about why rescue animals make the best pets, visit the Battersea website www.battersea.org.uk, or join the rescue movement by using #RescueIsMyFavouriteBreed.