Urgent plea to fund stray cat’s amputation surgery and recovery

A stray cat being cared for by the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth needs emergency surgery and the organization is hoping the community will rally to help pay for her recovery.

Blossom arrived at the shelter in “poor condition.” Their veterinary team found an old injury on her left leg that had been left untreated for a long time.

On Tuesday, the one-year-old cat had emergency surgery to amputate the limb.

Melanie Hunt, a registered veterinary technician at the humane society, said they didn’t have much choice when it came to Blossom’s leg.

“She was holding it in an L-shape. The end of her paw was complete necrosis so there was no saving it. She was comfortable, but there was no saving the leg,” she explained. “We did amputate the leg just so that it won’t become an issue for her [and] she won’t get infections.”

Hunt said the amputation shouldn’t be a big adjustment for Blossom because she was already used to walking on only three legs. She’s already recovering well from her surgery and once healed, Blossom will be spayed and put up for adoption.

The humane society said Blossom’s medical costs could climb to $4,000 by that time.

“The money raised from this campaign will help Blossom lead a healthy, happy life,” Victoria Baby, the humane society’s CEO, said in a media release. “We have had several emergency cases like this within the past two weeks and rely on our community’s generosity to provide this life-saving medical care.”

More cats in care

The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth also shared the stories of two other cats who recently came into their care.

Last week, a four-month-old named Nimbus had an emergency amputation after their medical team determined he had multiple fractures to his left leg and was in a lot of pain. That procedure cost $3,500. The shelter said the surgery went well and Nimbus is now in a foster home.

Nimbus the cat in a photo provided by Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth.

A three-year-old named Kit Kat was taken in two weeks ago after she ingested a lily plant which is highly toxic to cats. The humane society said Kit Kat is doing well and is currently up for adoption. The cost of her treatment was $3,000.

‘Strange’ cases

Staff said spring is typically when more animals are brought into the humane society but it’s not clear why they’re seeing so many this month.

“There’s not really a specific time of the year that we see these things. They just come in threes, really,” Hunt said with a laugh. “Sometimes we just end up having a larger volume of these strange cases coming through.”

The humane society is hoping the community will pitch in to help cover the costs for their care.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the shelter surpassed its $4,000 goal. They said any additional money raised will help other animals in need.