An operation to give a kitten born without eyelids a new lease of life has failed despite money pledged by Wandsworth Guardian readers.

Four months ago, shorthaired tabby cat Danny faced being put down if his owners, Joseph and Victoria Stantejsky could not raise the cash to pay for the costly eye surgery he needed.

Although they managed to stump up the £3,000 with the help of donations from our readers, the couple, of Wakehurst Road, were saddened to learn Danny’s corrective treatment - which involved grafting skin from his lower eyelids to create top ones - on March 4 had not worked.

Victoria said: “The operation initially went well, but when we took him for a check up two weeks later, the vet said Danny’s new eyelids didn’t look like they had taken.

“There wasn’t enough blood flow to his eyes so instead of the new skin bonding, it had just withered away.”

Now eight-month-old Danny’s only hope of leading a normal life is to have a series of special treatments to freeze the hair follicles around his eyes to stop it growing into them - which costs £500 a go.

“At the moment the vet says she can do nothing more for him except give him the freezing treatment.

“He has to go back to the vets in April when the wounds from the previous surgery have healed but if his condition is still the same, there is nothing more we can do.

“We would just like to thank everyone who gave money, as without them we wouldn’t have been able to pay for the surgery and to reassure them that whatever happens, Danny will go to a loving home,"

Victoria added.

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