In 2017, Elliot Green visited the Lynchburg Humane Society with his partner to adopt a cat as part of a promotional “Free Cat Friday.”
They wanted to adopt a Siamese cat they had seen on the Internet, but when they arrived at the shelter, they discovered that it had already been adopted.
Instead, another cat caught their attention… with his unforgettable pale blue eyes.
Twitter/@heyelliotgreen
The kitten was named Merlin, a rare Munchkin-Persian mix, and was also almost completely blind. All this gave him a truly striking and unique look.
“When I was first told that he was blind, I was a little worried,” he said. “Being a full-time student and working two jobs at the same time, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to give Merlin the attention he needed.”
But the connection was irresistible: they knew they had to have the cat.
“As soon as I got to hold him, I think it was pretty obvious that he was perfect.”
Twitter/@heyelliotgreen
Twitter/@heyelliotgreen
After bringing the cat home, they discovered that Merlin’s blindness wasn’t a huge hurdle.
“Honestly, we forget that he has blind eyes,” Elliot said. “When we moved into our apartment, he definitely had trouble navigating, but he learns quickly and really knows how to own the space.”
“Because he was born blind, he really has no concept of fear, so he tries to jump from pretty high places.”
They had some issues with the cat’s health: she had some seizures due to her diet, but that was taken care of.
Not only did Merlin look so unique, but she was also very small: at two years old, she was what Elliot describes as “the size of a water bottle”.
Twitter/@heyelliotgreen
Despite this, Merlin also proved to be a very affectionate, loving, and well-behaved cat.
“He’s a strangely sociable cat. He loves cuddles and being with people,” Elliot wrote on Twitter. “He doesn’t meow, claw, or break things. 99% of the time he’s just quietly chilling.”
“He doesn’t hide or avoid people – he’ll run up to the door to meet us and climb all over guests sitting on the couch. His preferred place is on someone’s lap,” he told Bored Panda. “Anytime we sit on the couch or the bed, he jumps up and is ready to be cuddled.”
Twitter/@heyelliotgreen
It’s a perfect example of how amazing rescuing a pet can be: Merlin got a happy forever home and the Greens got a loving new member of their household.
Sadly, Merlin passed away last Spring. Elliot was heartbroken but grateful for the times they spent together.
“It’s never easy to lose a best friend and I owe my life to Merlin for helping me get through uni,” he wrote on Twitter.
And most importantly, he gave Merlin a happy home for his final years, years that might’ve otherwise been spent in a shelter.
After Merlin passed away, he adopted a dog named Winston, opening his heart to another pet.
We’ll miss this beautiful, unique cat. We’re glad he had such a good life with an owner who loved him.