Radar loved showing! He was in his element. His favorite part was climbing up the scratching posts, which the judges found very entertaining. His least favorite part was the car ride there. There weren’t many Household Pet Kittens showing, so he made the final round by default. But at the end of the weekend, he ended up placing Best Household Pet Kitten in 10 rings, and 2nd Best Household Pet Kitten in four rings. More important than his awards, was the fact he genuinely enjoyed showing and the attention he received from everyone there. We are looking forward to his next show, I just need to get him used to riding in the car between now and then!

Yesterday Radar got his first full-on bath in preparation for his first show this weekend. He did not enjoy the bath, but eventually forgave me. His fur is so thick and long it took forever to blow dry him. This morning Radar was featured on Good Morning Texas during a clip advertising the cat show. He did so well. I hope it’s an indication of how he will do at the show. Fingers crossed!

Radar at 4 months, 1 week.
He has mastered the art of getting down from the bunk beds. As much as I wish he would use the stairs, he just prefers to jump from the top bunk! He backs up until he’s hanging off, holds on with his front claws while his back end dangles, and then he just trusts and lets go. I think there’s a great lesson we can all learn from Radar...sometimes we just need to trust and let go. 😻🐾♥️

Radar is doing amazing! He is past the 2 week post surgery mark, so he was able to leave the nursery. For now he is in the kids room, learning to navigate that space. I was very nervous since they have bunk beds, but he’s managed to do just fine. Last night I was trying to get the kids to bed early, but instead we spent an hour playing with kittens and watching Radar zoom around the room, chasing his tail, until he finally wore himself out. Then he climbed up on his floor pouf and settled in for bedtime. 💤❤️🐾 I love to watch him play, he approaches everything with such confidence. I think he’s glad to have this surgery behind him so he can get on to bigger and better things.

I have worried about Radar’s surgery for months now, and it’s finally over. I can breathe a sigh of relief now. He did great! He actually did have eyes, they were just teeny, tiny and underdeveloped. His ocular cavities were cleaned out, and stitched closed using internal sutures so he doesn’t have visible stitches. He actually looks much better than I expected. The surgeon, Dr. Kelli Taylor did an amazing job! She knew I was worried (probably because I started crying as I said good bye), so she kept me updated throughout the process.
Now I just need to keep him isolated from the other cats and kittens and keep his eyes cleaned so he doesn’t get an infection. I will be glad when he is completely healed and we are past the possible infection stage! For now though,I’m just glad he is over the surgery and everything went well!

I’ve noticed Radar is extra fluffy compared to rest of the kittens in his litter. He looks much larger, but actually his weight is in line with the others, so it’s definitely extra fur. My husband said it’s just extra padding for when he bumps into things or falls. 😂 There might be a little truth to that! He’s started being extra inquisitive and exploring larger areas. He jumps onto chairs, tables, and bunk beds. The problem is getting down. He’s learned to use his front paw to feel around before jumping down. He’s had a couple rough tumbles, but he gets up and keeps on going. I’m not sure anything is going to slow this boy down.❤️

I let Radar explore the kids room and somehow he managed to get on the top bunk of the bed. He’s pretty proud of himself! ♥️ How he found his way up and down without being able to see is beyond me! Sometimes I forget he’s blind, but then he will run into a wall while playing or miss a step and fall from his perch and I’m quickly reminded.
Even though I worry about him getting hurt, I’m having to step back and let him figure things out on his own. And for right now, I’m going to let him enjoy this little victory. 🐾♥️

Radar was scheduled to have his eye surgery on January 31, but I have decided to postpone it. I want him to gain some more weight due to the length of time he’ll be put under. For now, it’s daily eye cleaning and antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
He is the most amazing little boy! When he hears my voice, he stops whatever he is doing and turns toward me. A look of pure peace and joy comes over his little face. And my heart just melts into a puddle every single time. People tell me he’s lucky to have me, but in truth I’m the lucky one! ❤️🐾

Radar’s eyes are weeping more and more, so I took him back to the vet to make sure he isn’t getting an infection. Dr. B said Radar needs surgery to permanently close his eyes. He’s a little too young now, so I have it scheduled for January 31.
I love watching him interact with his littermates. He does amazingly well getting around. Sometimes he bumps into walls, but never too hard. He sits up like a bear when I enter the kitten nursery, and turns toward my voice (like a satellite dish). He is already litter trained, and he finds his food and water dishes with ease. Sometimes when I watch him play I forget he’s blind. He’s learning to use, and rely on, his other senses to compensate for his lack of sight. He’s really quite remarkable!

On November 17, Bonnie Blue (we call her Boo) gave birth to a litter of 4 beautiful kittens. A few weeks later all the kittens had opened their eyes, except one. I began to suspect the little kitten didn’t have eyes, and a visit to the vet a few days later confirmed my suspicions.
My husband and I named the little boy Radar, and decided he would stay with us. This is a first for us, and we don’t exactly know what to expect, raising a blind cat. But we do know we love him, and we will figure it out together.