Community pitches in to help library's blind cat

Surgery being performed on cat's eyes

By SCOTT NILES Courier staff writer

OTTUMWA — Petie misses his brother, Stevie.

The two have been inseparable since they were born. After some hard times, the two kittens were taken in by the Ottumwa Public Library staff in mid-2000, where they have since found a comfortable home.

Both cats have had vision problems, due in part to an incident that occurred when they were kittens after their eyes were forced open by a couple of teenagers.

They have warmed the hearts of the library staff and many library patrons who visit the cats frequently.

But Stevie recently had some difficulty with swelling of his eyes caused by his glaucoma. Just like humans, cats are prone to the same eye infections. Over the past weekend, his right eye ruptured, causing severe bleeding and pain.

Stevie was taken to the Eastview Animal Hospital on Saturday where his eye has been sutured shut in order to minimize the pain. He is also on pain medication and antibiotics.

Veterinarian Jan Tallman will perform surgery to remove both of his eyes today and replace them with prosthetics. His eyes will then be permanently sutured shut. Being blind all of his life, the surgery will not impact Stevie’s ability to maneuver and will actually help relieve him from a lot of pain, said fellow veterinarian Beth Doggett.

“There is a little risk in the surgery just because when they remove the eye, it is so close to the brain,” she said.

But Tallman has performed many of these surgeries successfully, and Doggett said they do not anticipate any complications.

While Stevie has been sitting in the veterinary hospital, his brother Petie has been lonely at the library. Petie and the whole library staff misses him and cannot wait for his arrival back on Friday should everything go well.

“I’m sure we will get cards and people coming to visit when he gets back,” said Librarian Lee Davis.

She said the two cats have become permanent residents of the library and have made a home there. Already, she has fielded several calls of people asking how Stevie is doing.

“We can’t wait for him to come back and Petie has been mopey while he has been gone,” said Librarian Christina Riedel.

Davis said this is the very first time that the two have ever been separated.

Library Custodian Ben Richards said he has had to comfort Petie during the past several days to stop him from whining in Stevie’s absence.

“He has looked everywhere for Stevie and he doesn’t know what to do,” he said.

Davis praised the staff at Eastview Animal Hospital, who has supplied a lot of the food for the animals at little cost and are paying for half the surgery.

“We are giving them the initial visit and boarding at no cost, too,” Doggett said.

The total cost for Stevie’s surgery will be around $200.

After only having a sign up for one day about his condition, the library has already received $51 to help cover the bill.

“We are always looking for donations,” Davis said. “If people wanted to donate, they can bring food, toys, bedding or monetary donations to the library. Anything is appreciated.”

Scott Niles can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at sjniles@mchsi.com.