A couple of months ago, we got a call from a Colony Manager that a cat had showed up with a dangling leg. It appeared to be feral, but we don’t leave cats to suffer, so our TNR Coordinator Barb Jones set out to trap it.
The cat was extremely fearful and defensive, hitting the cage as if his life depended on getting away, which it probably had. The vets at High Country Veterinary Hospital were brave enough to take him on and found out why. His leg had been broken and he had been trying to survive with it for so long that maggots were living in his flesh.
They had to amputate the leg and back Butch went to Barb’s for recuperation. She gave him lots of opportunities to show that he might want to stay a house cat, but each time, he said NO by charging at her.
Finally she resigned herself to finding him a barn home. When Barb or any Happy Cats volunteer relocates a cat to a barn, especially a cat without a colony, they keep him in a room (usually a tack room or other small safe place) for at least 14 days to make sure they bond to their new territory. Barb checks on them daily, making sure they have clean accommodations.
This time, she also had to make sure that Butch could walk and climb, as he was going to be living in a haystack. Slowly, Butch came to trust Barb. Slowly, the fear was replaced with trust. Slowly, he revealed his true cat, a sweet young boy who had been through something very horrible.
Butch is now back with Barb in her home, learning how to negotiate sofas and stairs instead of a haystack. We expect to have him available within a couple of weeks. Click here to meet him in his video premiere!
If you can help with the cost of Butch’s amputation, please click below. Every little bit helps!
The volunteers, cats & kittens thank you!