Otitis had his ears surgically removed after he grew painful cysts on both sides that caused him so much pain that he could hardly move.
A peculiar cat without ears can’t get enough of his toy doppelganger after his owner brought home the stuffed seal with the same bright blue eyes.
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“People were telling me that he looked like a seal,” Otitis’ owner Molly Lichtenwalner told Caters News. "I immediately thought of Otitis because not only was it a white seal, but it had the blue eyes. I had to buy it once I saw it because it just reminded me so much of my precious fur baby."
Otitis, Molly’s emotional support animal, had his ears surgically removed after he developed horrible cysts in both ears that caused him so much pain that he could barely move. His former owners then surrendered him to a rescue.
That’s when Lichtenwalner, 23, of Lancaster, Pa., knew she wanted to adopt Otitis into her home.
"I always knew that when I was ready for a pet, I was going to adopt a special needs animal,” said Lichtenwalner, who grew up on a farm among many animals. “It was the best decision I have ever made.”
Otitis now spends his days head butting new people he meets, snuggling with Lichtenwalner and sleeping in their bed.
Despite having rescued Otitis, Lichtenwalner said the special needs cat has made a bigger impact on her life than she could have ever imagined.
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She explained she originally felt compelled to adopt a cat after a bad car accident.
“[I] suffered from anxiety as a result,” she said. “Growing up on a farm, I was always surrounded by animals, and after my accident, I realized just how much animals help me and my mental health.”
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