'Favorite hobbies include looking in two directions at once': Cross-eyed rescue cat Belarus earns thousands of dollars for animal charities with his adorable goofy look


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The pupils of poor Belarus's bright yellow eyes face in separate directions thanks to a condition called strabismus. Belarus lives in San Francisco

A cross-eyed rescue cat has earned thousands of dollars for adoption charities by selling t-shirts emblazoned with his face - thanks to his adorable 'googly eyes'.

The pupils of poor Belarus's bright yellow eyes face in separate directions thanks to a condition called strabismus, leaving him with a permanently confused expression.

After a post featuring the Nebelung feline at San Francisco Animal Care & Control (SFACC) went viral back in June 2018, animal lover Rachel Krall couldn't resist going to meet the rescue cat.


Despite not being a huge cat person, Rachel had her heart stolen and two-year-old Belarus has been doing the same to people all around the world, with more than 254,000 followers on his Instagram.

Rachel, from San Francisco, California, said: 'When I first saw him, I just thought he was the most hilariously adorable cat ever. 'I had never really been a cat person before, but thought he would be the perfect cat. 'I sent his adoption picture to my family and their reactions were quite similar. 'They told me you have to go see him, so I did.

'His favorite hobbies include juggling, waiting for his food machine and looking in two directions at once.'

Rachel had grown up in a house full of animals - including rabbits, parrots and hamsters. However she had just decided her dog of six years would be better suited living with her family, rather than in her one bed apartment, when she spotted the post featuring Belarus.

He had been left at the SFACC because his previous family had issues with their landlord.

Rachel said: 'I moved things around at work that day to be able to visit the shelter and meet him. 'I wasn't formally in the market to adopt a pet but it was love at first sight and fortunately I was informed I was selected to be his adopter later that night.'

Strabismus is the deviation of one or both eyes where one of the four rectus muscles - used to control the movement - may have abnormal positioning, causing atypical tension and displacement of the gaze.

Despite the condition, Belarus has very few apparent issues with his vision, apart from occasionally pawing at his water bowl. Rachel said: 'He is just like any other curious cat. He's really adventurous and loves to explore new environments.

'Belarus' favorite toys are balls, twist ties and any other small object he can lay his paws on. 'One of his funnier habits is attempting to bury coffee and other 'bad' smelling things.'

Thanks to his following, there is now a whole range of clothing available on Bonfire featuring Belarus' goofy grin, with 100% of the profits being donated to charities in the area.

Rachel said: 'Bonfire actually reached out to me, which is what sparked the idea. 'Last year, we donated $6,000 to shelters, with $4,000 to Belarus' shelter SFACC, $1,000 to Sonoma Community Animal Response Team for their efforts saving animals from the Sonoma wildfire, and $1,000 to Cat Town of Oakland. 'While I had originally only pledged 50% of the profits to the shelter for our first campaign, I've actually donated 100% of proceeds.'