A DEAF kitten from Hanwell is in danger of losing his eyesight - and his owners need your help to save him.
Five-month-old Aslan had his left eye removed last Friday, as well as having a cataract operation on his right eye after experiencing intense pain.
However, the operation, medicine, consultations and aftercare will cost more than £5,000.
Insurance covered only the first £1,000 and his owners have had to borrow money to give Aslan a chance.
Some friends suggested the kitten should be put down, but, while the ophthalmologists remained positive, owner Nosheen Karim said the family wanted to do all they could to save him.
Mrs Karim said: “We couldn’t afford the costs, but we went ahead. As I said, he’s one of us, part of the family.”
The family initially set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of raising enough for Aslan to have a double cataract operation in January.
With his lenses fully grown, the operation would restore Aslan’s sight so he could live relatively normally.
However, when Mrs Karim took the kitten for a scan last Thursday, the ophthalmologist said they needed to operate immediately to remove his eye.
Mrs Karim was unable to take Aslan home to see her daughters aged nine and 11 before the life-changing procedure.
READ MORE: Thousands raised for Ealing Foodbank by runners
READ MORE: Northolt gym user is face of firm's positive messaging
Previously, the kitten had been having eye drops to reduce the inflammation, but the pressure became too much, causing him a lot of pain.
The ophthalmologists are unsure as to whether Aslan will be able to see out of his right eye yet. They will have to wait for it to settle down following the operation.
The family got Aslan in September from a family friend, whose cat had a litter of kittens in June.
While Aslan was born deaf due to a genetic problem, the family had no idea his eyesight would deteriorate, too.
Mrs Karim first realised there was something wrong in mid-November when he was not noticing things directly in front of him.
She thought he might be short-sighted, but then his eyes became misty.
Initially, the vet thought Aslan had just bumped his eye, but Mrs Karim returned two days later and they referred him to the ophthalmologist.
Since then, his eyesight has quickly deteriorated.
Mrs Karim said: “It’s extremely rare for juvenile cats to have cataracts at all. It’s normally associated with older animals and, even then, it’s not common. He’s had a lot of bad luck.”
On the family’s GoFundMe page, it says: “In his very short life Aslan has given us so much love and comfort during a difficult time. We want to do everything we can to give him the best start in life.”
You can donate on https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-save-aslan039s-eyes?utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=p_email%2B4803-donation-alert-v5.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here