All cats share a special place in their owner's heart.
Whether they were adopted as a kitten, or taken in as a stray like the cats who live at this amazing Hawaii cat refuge, it only takes a few nuzzles and a little purring to become part of our family forever.
Not all cats who need a loving home are lucky enough to find one early in life, however.
Mr. Magoo is a very special ginger cat with an incredible past.
He was found wandering the streets of Philadelphia like so many other cats that are abandoned and left to fend for themselves.
But unlike other street cats, Mr. Magoo faced an extra obstacle: he's completely blind.
Incredibly, he was able to survive long enough to be discovered by a family who would love him — not in spite of his physical limitations, but because of them.
Scroll through below to see more pictures of this lovable cat, and learn how different his life is today!
[H/T LoveMeow]
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the indefatigable Mr. Magoo.
Just like his cartoon namesake, Mr. Magoo the kitty can't see very well.
Mr. Magoo was born with a condition called microphthalmia, which means that his eyes and eyelids didn't develop fully.
Vets have confirmed that he is legally blind, though he does have a very limited amount of peripheral vision and can see some light and shadows.
This type of condition makes it very hard for a kitty to survive alone on the streets, but somehow Mr. Magoo did it for two long years!
Finally, Mr. Magoo was taken in by animal control and brought to the shelter in very poor shape.
At the time, it wasn't looking good for this ginger cat. When he arrived at the shelter, he was unable to eat, was having trouble breathing, and was extremely dehydrated.
Because of his serious condition, Mr. Magoo was placed on Philly's Urgent Page. His story was then shared by the Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, which was how Colleen Angstadt learned of him.
Mr. Magoo pulled at her heartstrings, and she decided right then and there that she had to help.
It took quite a few phone calls and emails, but Colleen was finally able to bring Mr. Magoo into her safe home.
"I knew right then and there we made the right decision, he needed us and we needed him," Colleen told LoveMeow.
Colleen remembers exactly when she decided to call the cat Mr. Magoo.
She wrote on Facebook: "…for days I wiped his little face, held warm compresses to his bloody nose and crusted eyes and I felt all the love that oozed from inside that sweet bloody little face.
"I knew then and there that Magoo, aka Gooey, was the perfect name for him not just because of his eyes, or how gooey his nose and his face were. It was because of how he made me feel, from the moment I saw his picture on Facebook… He made My Heart all Gooey inside."
Now Mr. Magoo, the blind kitty who once wandered the dangerous streets of Philadelphia all on his own, lives like a king in his safe, warm home!
He has lots of comfy places to sleep.
Sometimes he even puts on a show in his flashy bow tie!
More than anything else, Colleen is amazed at how much personality he has now, compared to the day she brought him home from the shelter.
She told LoveMeow: "It brings tears to my eyes as I remember picking him up from the shelter sick, bloody, and listless. It still amazes me what love and nurturing will do for one's soul and well-being."
Colleen wasn't the only one inspired by Mr. Magoo's miraculous transformation. Over 30,000 people are now his fans on Facebook!
His profile indicates that he enjoys "Shrimpies, face rubs, shrimpies, cat nip aka 'kitty crack,' oh and did I mention Shrimpies!"
If you'd like to help raise awareness for special-needs animals that need love, check out the "GooeyWear" for sale here. Proceeds are donated to various rescue and shelter groups.
Have you ever taken in a cat you found on the street? Tell us about it in the comments.
Please SHARE if you're glad Mr. Magoo found his forever home!
