When I brought Helen home from the Cat Shelter, she was only supposed to stay for a few days until she recovered from her spay surgery. The Shelter was pretty full, and there was no place to isolate a blind kitten where she could recover in quiet, away from the bustle of all of the other cats and kittens. She had become stressed, she started sniffling, and she wouldn't eat. I kept her in a cage in a quiet room in my house, away from the other animals and confusion. I hadn't planned for her to stay, because I thought that all of the other animals in our house, as well as the size of the house, would overwhelm this poor little blind kitten. Once she recovered, however, I was reluctant to take her back to the Shelter, as it was still pretty crowded, and I was afraid she would become stressed and frightened again. My husband insisted she would be able to get along in our house and he was right! Once she was out of the cage, she started exploring by cautiously working her way around the sides of the rooms; when she bumped into something, she backed up and moved around the obstacle. It's been several years since we adopted Helen, and she has adjusted very well to our crazy house. The baby gate originally intended to confine her (and keep the dogs out of her food and litter) is a minor inconvenience she maneuvers with ease. She finds her way around downstairs with confidence (she never goes upstairs), and handles herself fine with the other cats. She lets the dogs wash her, and she has even learned how to get on the table! Final Chapter When Helen began to have breathing problems, our veterinarian discovered a polyp in her throat that was slowly strangling her. Surgery was the only solution. She had a high probability of surviving the surgery, and without it she would die. The head of the Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine Surgery department was called in to perform the surgery and the surgery was a success. Unfortunately, the temporary deafness caused by the surgery, compounded with her blindness and strange surroundings, was more than her little heart could withstand and we lost her the next day. Helen brought joy to our lives for many years, and I can still see her making a beeline for the sound of our voices, climbing over dogs and anything else in her path. I still remember her scrambling up on our laps whenever we sat down, and I will never forget the lessons in perseverance that she taught us. Carol Bene, Cat Shelter Volunteer