A man rescues a kitten and discovers its endearing birthmark, realizing it’s a tiny bundle of uniqueness.

In January of last year, Joshua Hebert from Tampa, Florida, experienced a surprising upturn in his garden when he noticed a genuine figure during his year-end review.

Hebert recounted to The Dodo, “I saw this small lump of an orange kitten sitting up against our garage door as I was heading back to the house. It was around 90 degrees outdoors, and he was sitting in the sun on the concrete.

Hebert checked the area, but there was no sign of the kitten’s mom, so he quickly took a video to show his husband, Jose Tortolero. Hebert knew that a feral colony lived in his neighborhood and had tried to be kind to them when they were around.

“We’d fed them before, so we think the mom maybe felt comfortable leaving [the kitten] with us,” Hebert said.

The kitten stumbled inside the garage after Hebert unlocked the entrance. It squatted in a corner, where it seemed to feel safe and took a nap. Hebert remarked, “He was really weak. We noticed he wasn’t really interacting with us since he couldn’t even lift his head up. For example, he didn’t appear to care whether or not we moved him. But we explained it away by saying that he was severely dehydrated.”

When Hebert and Jose Tortolero gave the kitten a dish of water, they saw that he tested the depth of the liquid by dipping his paw into it and tapping it. They discovered that the orange kitten was blind at that point.

They rushed Whiskers to the vet for a checkup, where he was given eye drops, antibiotics, and lubricants. Though Whiskers’ eyes were still hopelessly blind, only able to sense light and movements, his condition would improve with time and care. His pupils were still open, hoping his vision would improve with time and care, and they were doing everything to help him.

Now, at 6 months old, Whiskers is an energetic and independent kitten who loves to play with his dad’s and his brother’s siblings.

He’s the sweetest,” Hebert said. “He’ll never put his claws into you when he’s playing. He’s very gentle.”

“He gets excited every time he’s done eating,” he added. “He gets the zoomies and runs around the house.”

Whiskers is content as long as he is close to one of his family members, despite the fact that he still needs to mend and grow. And Hebert and Tortolero are happy to have him as a part of their family.

We adore him so much, added Hebert. He is unquestionably a member of the family.

Lucky’s story not only inspired others about the beauty of diversity in nature, but also raised awareness about the plight of differently-abled animals. People marveled at how the little kitten’s differences made him even more special and lovable.

As time went on, Lucky continued to bring joy to John’s life and the lives of others. His story became a symbol of acceptance and appreciation for uniqueness. Lucky proved that being different is something to be celebrated and embraced, rather than feared or rejected.