Homer, the blind cat who survived 9/11

In the spring of 1997 in Miami, Florida, a vet treated an eyeless, abandoned male kitten. The vet cared for the kitten’s infected eye sockets—which she sewed shut to prevent any further damage—and provided him with a foster home in her office for the next few days.

The three weeks old kitten was introduced to one of the vet’s acquaintances who adopted the kitten on the spot and named him Homer, after the blind ancient Greek poet Homer who wrote the famous epic poems The Odyssey and The Iliad.

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Homer was the third cat to enter the household, following a tabby and a snow-white Persian mix that Cooper named Scarlett and Vashti, respectively.

In 2001, Homer’s family moved to the financial district in downtown New York City, seven months before the World Trade Center tragedy on 9/11.

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Homer was one of the few pets who survived such a tragedy and those touched by Homer’s story are mourning his loss. The famous feline, who had just celebrated his 16th birthday, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on Aug. 21st, 2013.

Homer had been ill on and off since the fall but he seemed to bounce back early that year. However, his health began to decline in summer and his mom had to make the difficult decision of putting him to sleep.

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His mom said: “He was so tired, and it was time. We were lucky enough to find a very gentle vet to come to us at home, and Homer passed peacefully, in his own bed, in my arms.”