Simon the cat is a survivor, but the now three-legged cat needs a little bit more help to heal up before being re-homed by the BC SPCA.
Simon's saga began on July 18 when residents of a home in Abbotsford discovered him in their crawlspace.
What they found was an elderly cat in pain with an old, discoloured cast hanging off his front right leg. The cat was hissing and hiding in the crawlspace, but the residents acted immediately and brought him to the Abbotsford BC SPCA branch.
“There was a foul smell coming from the cast," stated Sarah Ringer-Vennard, manager of the BC SPCA Abbotsford. "We immediately brought him to an animal hospital for treatment and to get him some relief from the incredible pain he must have been in.”
Simon was given pain medication shortly after arriving at the hospital, but when the rotting cast was removed what remained was horrifying.
“There was a huge amount of exposed broken bone and necrotic tissue, due to the wet cast,” stated Ringer-Vennard. “It was obvious this was an old injury. I can’t imagine how he was able to walk at all, let alone crawl into a home for help.”
The veterinarian determined that the leg was in critical condition and had to be amputated. It was explained that much of the tissue surrounding the injury was dead and they removed Simon's leg to the shoulder.
Blood work was also done and the results found that he is anemic and has high glucose levels. Simon also may be suffering from pancreatis, but that could be that the liver is shedding similar enzymes to pancreatitis because of the infection in the bone. The vet is hopeful those levels normalize as the cat recovers.
Ringer-Vennard stated that Simon's condition is slowly improving as well as the cat's mood.
“He is warming up to people more now,” she said. “Especially those who greet him with treats. He is still a little nervous but that is to be expected after the trauma he experienced.”
The BC SPCA has started a medical emergency fund for Simon, which is seeking $1,950 for the amputation surgery, blood work, medications, neuter surgery and daily care for Simon until he is ready for adoption. For more information on the fundraiser, visit medical.spca.bc.ca/animal/827.
