Abandoned kitten who lost eyesight finds home with family of adopted children
"I want to give Ilene a loving family that could take care of her."
A kitten has found her forever home with a family of kids who were adopted one month before her.
On Dec. 14, Alanna Lundin and her kids -- Cassandra, 18, Elijah, 14, and Samantha, 13 -- took in Ilene the kitten.
Ilene was found wrapped in a pile of trash by a good Samaritan in California and brought to the Oregon Humane Society.
The tiny feline was in need of a good home.
"My youngest felt it was similar to her situation," Lundin, of Beaverton, Oregon, told "Good Morning America." "She said, 'I want to give Ilene a loving family that could take care of her' since she received the same thing, essentially."
On Nov. 1, Lundin officially adopted Cassandra, Elijah and Samantha -- the youngest of a sibling group of six. The single mother had fostered them for 1,183 days.
"They had never been to school before, they came to me and didn't know how read," Lundin said, confirming the kids were a product of neglect. "They never cleaned before ... never been to the doctor. I think it just tugged at my heart."
She added, "We feel safe now that we're together for real."
As a family, Lundin and the kids have enjoyed fostering shelter animals through OHS. They've even adopted three cats from the organization.
When Lundin saw Ilene's story on the local news, she knew her teens would want to adopt the kitten.
"I sent them a text and I said, 'Hey look at this poor baby what do you think?'" she recalled. "All of them said, 'Can we have her? Can we help her?'"
Laura Klink, public information manager at OHS, said Ilene came to the shelter with an eye condition called microphthalmia, which could be caused by trauma or infection.
Ilene is completely blind and uses her other senses to climb on things and find her litter box.
Klink said Lundin and her son waited all night outside OHS to ensure they'd be the first to apply for Ilene's adoption.
"We wanted to make sure Ilene went to a home that was well-versed in her needs and these guys are doing great," Klink told "GMA" of Lundin and the kids.
"She charmed all of us since the minute she got here," she added of the kitten.
Lundin said Ilene is doing well and loves to cuddle with the family.
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