With her huge, opalescent eyes, Dorito is both intriguing and fascinating. On social media, some users are convinced she's an image generated by artificial intelligence. Others joke that she might be an oracle or a creature from another world.
But Dorito is very real. And behind her extraordinary appearance lies the story of a survivor.
A serious illness behind her unique gaze
At five months old, Dorito is a little cat with a feisty personality. She lets out little squeaks and howls rather than simple meows, and loves to be rocked like a baby.
Her oversized eyes are the result of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a serious disease that causes significant inflammation. Not all cases of FIP present this way, making Dorito's situation quite rare.
Fewer than a quarter of cats with FIP develop eye complications, and very few of them develop the iridescent globes that have made Dorito so popular online. The little cat and her sister, Cheeto, were taken in by the rescue organisation The Bitty Kitty Brigade in Little Canada, Minnesota, USA. They were discovered behind a skip by a kind passer-by. Both kittens had bleeding ears and were suffering from a cold.
“Her eyes weren't enlarged when she arrived,” Mandy Dwyer, the director of the organisation, explained to The Dodo.
A vet had, however, noticed that one of her eyes was cloudy. The two sisters quickly recovered from their respiratory infection, but shortly after, Dorito's eyes began to swell. A veterinary ophthalmologist then diagnosed her with FIP.
Without treatment, FIP is almost always fatal. Fortunately, the veterinary team acted quickly. Today, Dorito has recovered. Her vision is still limited, but she is in good health. It's uncertain whether her eyes will ever return to a standard size, but the little cat is now safe and surrounded by love.
A new life full of cuddles
During their time in foster care, their foster family fell in love with Dorito and Cheeto and decided to adopt both sisters.
Despite the organisation's repeated explanations, some internet users still doubt that she is real. Amusing comments continue to pour in under the posts: “You'll never convince me this cat isn't magical!”
