The 2-year-old tabby has a mysterious ocular condition that's caused her eyes to grow much larger than normal, but so far it's done little to slow her down.
Matilda's owners, who asked not to be named, told People that they adopted the cat from a rescue group back in 2013, and that at the time her eyes were standard-sized and healthy. But one day an eye went black, as if the pupil was gone, so her worried family sought out experts to root out what was going on
"After she saw a specialist we learned that it is a spontaneous lens luxation, which means that the lens detached from the rest of the eye for no known reason," the family said. "This is the mysterious part of the problem since she is an otherwise healthy cat."
Eventually, the other lens detached as well. That's about the time Matilda's eyes started growing.
Her family says that as Matilda's eyes have slowly gotten bigger since the lens detachment diagnosis, but the reason why isn't known. The family claims to be in regular contact with the cat's veterinary eye specialist, but that they too are stumped about its cause.
Hoping to find a clue to unravel the mystery, the family has made several appeals for answers on Reddit, a Facebook page, Instagram and a website devoted to Matilda.
Fortunately, the family says that the big-eyed cat isn't in any pain as a result of her puzzling condition, and that she is very much still a normal cat regardless of her rather 'alien-like' appearance. But they aren't taking any chances to make sure it stays that way.
"She is always up to date on her checkups and shots, and they watch her very closely to notice any changes in behavior that might suggest that she's uncomfortable," they wrote on Matilda's websit.
For now, Matilda's family can only watch and wait, hoping an answer will emerge about her condition and what can be done to ensure she stays healthy. Still, they're accepting of the fact that if her eyes don't stabilize before then, Matilda will likely have to undergo surgery to have them removed, writing on Matilda's site:
"The eyes are obviously enlarged, and while her last check-up suggested regular pressure levels, common sense seems to say that they can only grow so big before something has to give."
Until the day comes when the family has a better sense of Matilda's long-term health outlook, they're making the most of all the attention her unique look has brought her — gushing like any proud pet owner would:
"We also recognize that people love to see Matilda's photos! She is beautiful and lively and we're happy that we get to share that with all of you."
