Last week, we received a phone call about a cat that was in desperate need of help. The young lady said she found a cat that was very skinny and crying and that there was blood in the snow. After much back and forth I told her to bring the cat in.
She brought the cat to me in about 15 minutes. Apparently the cat had been living in a cow barn. The poor thing was emaciated. It was basically fur on bones and after I looked at the teeth I knew it was a very young cat maybe 6 months old at the most. He was not neutered and he was filthy and his feet were covered in urine stains, he smelled like a barn. He was so young and clearly he could not fend for himself.
Henri was on the verge of death when he was rescued by a local woman and brought to the Ark Animal Sanctuary. He is making a speedy recovery and will soon be available for adoption.
(Courtesy of Lorraine Monfils/Ark Animal Sanctuary)
We could tell he had been out there for a while from the condition he was in. All the necessary paperwork was filled out and he was admitted to the Ark. When we gave him food he was so hungry he growled as he ate. Over the course of the next 24 hours, this little boy ate four cans of food and drank a whole dish of water, he purred a lot and slept a lot. We noticed when he used the litter box that there was cow grain in his stool. This poor boy was so hungry he was eating cow grain. How does this happen? Did someone just take him and drop him off? The more I think about it the angrier I get. He had to be around people because he is the sweetest friendliest cat.
The next day, we noticed he was having difficulty standing. His back end would give out, but we figured that was because he had no strength and he was basically a walking skeleton. The more he ate and drank the stronger he became. After three days of rest and proper diet he was up and walking around, he can’t jump up on things yet, but he is getting stronger everyday. This boy had the will to live and he was a fighter. He was not giving up. His recovery didn’t depend on vet care, it depended on the basic simple things, food and water, a warm bed and people who cared. Every animal, even if they are a barn cat, deserves these simple things.
We have named this sweet boy Henri. If the young lady hadn’t found Henri when she did there is no doubt in my mind that he wouldn’t have survived much longer.
Today our goals for Henri are to get him fattened up, get him to the vet to be neutered, vaccinated and tested and then find him the best home ever. A home where he will be loved and never want for anything. We are going to be selective on where this boy goes. He will definitely be an indoor kitty only.
It seems that we are telling stories like Henri’s all too often and that is so sad. No animal should have to suffer like this. It doesn’t have to be this way. If we as humans start acting like responsible adults and start showing compassion and love for all living creatures.
That is a tall order, but I believe that we have to at least try otherwise stories like Henri’s will continue. If you see an animal in need please take the time to help. If you see an animal being neglected or abused please make a phone call. You are their voice, they need your help. Please be a part of the solution. Thank you for your continued support and as always thank you for reading our column.
The Ark Animal Sanctuary is located on 101 Old Woodstock Road. To contact Lorraine Monfils call 532-7387 or check out their Facebook page.
