Meet Potato, a cute rescued cat who had to undergo surgery to remove his ears due to persistent tumors. Potato and his ginger cat buddy, Horlick, had a tough life on the streets of China before being rescued by Carl Leong and his wife. Horlick was adopted first, followed by Potato, who still had his ears at the time. Unfortunately, Potato’s previous owner passed away in 2016, but a local cat shelter took care of him and Horlick. After discovering tumors in Potato’s ears, the couple decided to bring him home as a foster cat to monitor his condition closely and give him a comfortable life.
Can you spot the difference in the image above? This unique picture captured by Carl Leong (@no_ea) highlights the story of a domestic mixed shorthair who underwent a three-hour operation to remove his ears due to a ceruminous adenoma, a type of ear tumor. Although the tumor was non-cancerous, Potato was experiencing pain, hearing loss, and tinnitus, prompting the decision to remove his ear canals and ear flaps to prevent further suffering. After successful surgery in January 2020, Potato recovered well, and Carl officially adopted him as part of their family.
What a funny character (Photo: mediadrumimages/CarlLeong/@no_ea)
Potato’s stitches healed in just a fortnight, and now he’s thriving in his new home.
His owners have even turned him and his brother into social media stars, with an Instagram account called @no_ear_meow_potato boasting 17,500 followers and filled with cute photos of the duo.
According to Carl, “Potato’s hearing is not as sharp as before, it’s like when we cover our ears with our hands. Thankfully, he’s still responsive and hasn’t experienced any major side effects.
“As a former street cat, he had a tough exterior, but in reality, he’s quite lovable. Initially shy, he’s now playful and loves to interact with others.”
Initially reserved, he blossomed into a lively and engaging individual once he acclimated to his surroundings.
