Klaus and Mick, Spreading Kindness

Klaus the kitty and his human Mick Szydlowski are dedicated to educating the world about adopting special needs cats. The other member of this dynamo team, Oskar the Blind Cat, passed away suddenly on February 5 of last year, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy of kindness and acceptance.

Image courtesy of @BlindOskar, Facebook

After Mick and his wife Bethany rescued Oskar as a kitten in July 2011, videos of the blind tabby kitten “fighting” with the hairdryer and playing with his first toy went viral.

With his newfound popularity, Oskar not only spread the word about adopting specially-abled cats, he was active in the community by visiting blind children and adults with the message of “live life to the fullest.” In fact, he was a member of the National Federation of the Blind.

Image courtesy of @BlindOskar, Facebook

Even though Oskar has passed, he and Klaus are still making a difference together with their books, which are also available in Braille. Oskar and Klaus: Mission to Cataria, their most recent selection, written by Travis Bossard & Mick Szydlowski, was read to classrooms from the International Space Station by astronaut Richard (Ricky) Arnold. This was a part of the Storytime from Space Program. Pretty cool!

Image courtesy of @BlindOskar, Facebook

Klaus has had quite the life himself. Mick shared on Facebook, “The ear structure probably collapsed due to a hematoma from excessive scratching — the speculation is that he had a terrible case of ear mites when he was a stray (many years ago). He had a rough street life — all sorts of scars, missing teeth, and stomach issues. He has it made now!”

Little sister Juno, who also happens to be blind, joined the family last summer. Klaus, Mick, and Juno know that Oskar would be proud of their continued efforts to educate the public that special needs are not what define us. 

Klaus and Mick will be BACK at CatCon 2019 for Meet & Greets, along with Klaus’ little sister Juno. Don’t miss your chance to rub whiskers with these sweethearts– get your tickets here!