A cat with no eyes has gone viral on TikTok, building a following of one million dedicated fans.
Dmitri, a three-year-old moggie from Greece, was adopted by owner Emma Pelkiewicz, 27, in January 2019.
The poorly pet was found as a stray and suffering from an extreme infection, leading to the removal of both of his eyeballs.
But now he’s settled in with Emma in her London home, the sweet cat isn’t letting his disability stop him – and his hilarious exploits have landed him a huge following on TikTok, where Emma shares clips of his day-to-day life.
In one clip, Dmitri can be seen perched on the edge of a table and adorably trying to locate his owner by meowing and extending his paw to her.
The sweet moment garnered over seven million likes on the video sharing platform.
One person commented: “Did bro just use echo location?”
“You are the most beautiful cat I have ever seen,” said another user.
Someone else added: “Hi Dmitri you’re so handsome.”
In another clip, which has been viewed over two million times, Dmitri can be heard purring in delight as he receives a belly rub.
One person commented: “I love that noise.”
“Aw little trill,” another user said.
Someone else added: “My heart is melting.”
Emma hopes Dmitri’s online fame will encourage other people to adopt pets – no matter their limitations.
“There’s something very special and beautiful about Dmitri and I love that people all over the world adore him as much as I do,” Emma told Jam Press.
“I really hope Dmitri’s online presence inspires other people to adopt animals with disabilities.”
For Emma, she had always wanted a rescue cat – so the opportunity to adopt Dmitri was perfect.
She said: “I had always wanted a rescue cat. I live in a flat with no garden space so I needed to find a cat that couldn’t go outdoors – it was recommended to me to adopt a blind cat.
“I contacted a cat charity and arranged a visit with Dmitri’s fosterers. It was a little bit of a shock to see a cat without eyes at first, but he was so affectionate and mischievous and I knew he was the cat for me.
“Other than the fact he has to stay indoors, he doesn’t act that differently to other cats.
“He is an indoor cat because it wouldn’t be safe for him to explore on his own. When I visit family, I let him explore an enclosed garden with supervision
“Since his other senses are so fine-tuned, his blindness doesn’t hold him back.
“He knows my flat off by heart, climbs the furniture, plays with toys, catches flies etc. He’s amazing!”
Emma described Dmitri’s viral status as a “wonderful surprise” and she hopes his popularity on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram will help make other people aware of the joys adopting an animal can bring.
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