Injured tabby is feline well today
Cat shot with pellet gun finds a happy home
KITCHENER — This kitty knows he’s got it good.
Endless treats. Fresh water on demand. Celebrity status.
The brown tabby was adopted by Kitchener’s Greg Nowak after he was found last December wandering in Breslau with numerous pellet gun wounds in his face and belly, and his story made headlines.
He was first named Baron at the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society, where the nasty wounds were cared for, then renamed Survivor by Nowak.
“And everyone calls him Fitty Cent,” said Nowak, explaining the moniker is a mash up of kitty and the rapper 50 Cent who was shot nine times too.
Survivor bears few scars from his ordeal.
“He’s just great. A few little marks on his nose,” Nowak said.
Nine pellets were found when the cat was examined by a veterinarian.
Seven pellets were embedded in a tight cluster around his nose, and two in his belly.
Humane society officials believed the cat was held down or contained in some way when he was shot repeatedly with a pellet gun.
Surgery removed the metal pellets from the cat’s belly and five from his face, but two more were too deep to safely remove.
“Two of the nine are still in, near his sinuses,” Nowak said.
But there have been no health issues related to the remaining
pellets.
The unsightly scabs are long gone, and all the fur shaved off for surgery has grown back.
Nowak didn’t hesitate to adopt Survivor, even though he was labelled by the shelter as a “special needs” cat.
He was persistent in calling for updates on the cat’s condition, even before being cleared for adoption.
Survivor adjusted quickly to his new home with Nowak and new furry sibling Denzel, who is a bit more of a reserved feline.
“This one’s the outgoing one,” Nowak said of Survivor. “He wants all the attention.”
Nowak marks Survivor’s birthday on the day he was adopted, Dec. 23.
The good life agrees with Survivor, who has put on a few pounds since his adoption.
His only real hardship now is that it turns out he’s allergic to seafood.
Thankfully, there are still plenty of tasty seafood-free meals and treats for him to enjoy.
“He’s living the dream.”