Ady's Story

“We have an injured cat coming in.”

 Unfortunately, those are common words at the animal shelter—and on a busy Saturday during a three day interval that brought in 35 new cats and kittens, they weren’t exactly words we wanted to hear. But, he was a local stray in need, so we took him and with some quick rearranging, set up a place to examine him.

 It soon became clear that “injured” was an understatement. His front right leg was held in an abnormal position under his body.  The lower part of the leg and foot were bent backwards at an almost 90 degree angle, from a break that had healed in that position and was now unmovable.   The underarm area was even worse.  Maggots had invaded open wounds under the leg, and after eating away the wound-damaged area, they had spread to surrounding healthy tissue, creating gaping holes in his skin through which we could see even more maggots eating away the tissue inside.  The maggots had also attacked his tail, starting at the center and moving toward the base—and had literally eaten sections of his tail to the bone.  They were starting to move further into his body, and if they hadn’t started attacking his organs yet, we knew they would be soon.  Weakened by injuries, malnutrition, and dehydration, he didn’t stand a chance against what had literally become thousands of attackers. 

At this point it was clear that what was remarkable was not the extent of his injuries, but the fact that he was alive at all.  Without intervention there was no doubt he would have died within a day—with intervention odds of survival would still be low, with virtually no chance of saving his damaged leg or tail.  We would have to decide whether we should try to keep him alive, or humanely euthanize him to prevent future suffering. 

 We took a closer look at him and his wounds.  He was a neutered adult, but not very old.   Though he must have been suffering, he was very docile and did not lash out in fear or pain.  He was sedated and tested for feline leukemia and FIV, both negative.  We decided to try, knowing we might not succeed, but feeling there might be a chance for a happy ending.

 The first step was eliminating the maggots that were continuing to harm him.  Pesticide sprays or dips weren't an option due to the large open wounds, and any chemicals strong enough to kill thousands of maggots quickly would likely kill him too—so that meant keeping him sedated and removing them manually, using only peroxide, forceps, and combs. It was a long and painstaking process, but eventually we had removed all that we could find.  He was also given antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids, and frontline, which would help to kill off the new maggots that would hatch in the next few days.

 By Sunday, Ady was trying to stand up, though not very well.  We sat on the floor of the room so he could better position himself to eat.  After eating a few small bites of food, this amazing little boy made his way over to me, dragging his bad leg under him.  When he reached me he put his head on my lap and started purring! 

 Over the next several days, he accepted the new routine of wound cleaning, syringe-feeding and subcutaneous fluids twice a day.   In spite of the discomfort, he remained sweet and affectionate, and relished every bit of affection.  Luckily, there were no signs of organ damage, but unluckily, he picked up a bit of a cold from the other cats at the shelter, another obstacle to overcome.  He remained friendly and tolerant throughout all procedures, no matter how much discomfort or pain they may have caused. He was examined by a vet who confirmed that the leg and tail could not be saved, but he would need to be stronger before he could handle the anesthesia and surgery.

Eight days after his arrival, when he was a little stronger but still too weak for surgery, he was transferred to the home of a foster volunteer, where treatment of the wounds and antibiotics would continue.  The wounds around the leg had healed quite a bit, but the damage to the tail was very evident, the infection was obvious, and many layers of dead skin were starting to slough off.  He spent a few hours behind our front desk before his foster mom picked him up, and his personality became even more evident, as he followed us around and claimed any available lap.  The photos posted below were taken the day he went into his foster home.  Though not completely out of the woods, his prognosis had improved considerably.

 On August 16^th, a little over 3 weeks after his arrival, Ady’s damaged leg and tail were removed.  The vet also closed the remaining wounds that had not completely healed.  Ady was sent back into foster care to recuperate from surgery and to adjust to life without the damaged leg and tail.  He is adjusting well, and has remained an incredibly affectionate lap cat. Ady will be ready for adoption around the end of August/beginning of September, and we hope he will soon be a beloved part of a new family. 

 Unlike many of the injured cats we see, Ady was not hit by a car.  He was not attacked by another animal, and he wasn’t a victim of deliberate cruelty or neglect by people.  He lost a leg and his tail, and almost lost his life, as a result of wounds caused by a device many pet owners use and don’t think twice about—a collar.

 Ady had gotten his foot caught in the collar he was wearing, and in his attempts to break free, he had broken the lower leg.  After the leg was broken, the collar moved further up the leg, until it was caught around the neck and under the leg, causing the severe wounds which were ultimately invaded by the maggots. Based on the healing of the broken leg, he probably wandered outside for weeks with the collar caught around him—in fact, it was stuck there until removed by the people who found him. 

 Ady’s injuries were reminiscent of those of Curly, who came to the shelter a few years ago, with a leg caught in his collar, suffering from the same kind of injuries. Curly was fortunate because he hadn’t broken his leg, and he was found and brought to us sooner, before the maggot damage was as extensive.  Curly escaped with just a few scars from his experience, but like Ady, if he had not been found, he likely would have lost his life.  

 Both Ady’s and Curly’s ordeals could have been prevented if their owners (no owner came forward in either case) had only used an appropriate safety collar.  Regular collars, flea collars (which are generally ineffective as a means of flea control anyway), and even some collars that are labeled safety collars pose a very real risk to cats. Even owners who are aware of the strangulation risks collars pose for cats may not consider the risks associated with a caught paw. Safety collars that use elastic, for example, can stretch and actually increase the chances of getting a paw stuck—and while the elastic might break if the cat is hanging from the collar, if the elastic is too strong, the cat may not be able to generate enough force to snap the collar if a leg is caught. 

 The best collars for cats are properly fitted and have a plastic safety clasp.  The clasp should open very easily, with little force, when you pull the two sides of the collar.  Note that these safety clasps are not the same as the plastic clasps that require you squeeze the sides to open.

 Remember, your cat is not as strong as you are, and if it is not easy for you to open or break the collar, it is likely impossible for your cat, especially if the collar is caught around a leg. 

 If you are concerned that your cat will get out and lose his collar, and want to make sure he has identification, remember—the BEST AND SAFEST FORM OF IDENTIFICATION FOR A CAT IS A MICROCHIP. 

 If you are interested in adopting Ady, or would like to donate to help offset his medical expenses, we would love to hear from you!  Ady remains in his foster home, but we will arrange meetings with approved adopters as needed.  Donations can be made at the shelter or online, directed either to Ady or our Meowser’s Angels fund, which is dedicated to helping us to provide extra medical care to special needs cats like Ady. 

Special notice:  In order to encourage appropriate use of animal identification, we are having a CAT MICROCHIPPING SPECIAL in September.  Every Saturday in September we will be microchipping cats at the shelter  for only $18.  If you would like to bring your cats in for chipping, please call the shelter to set up a time.

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