Feral Colony Cat Shot By Pellet Gun Fighting Paralysis With Acupuncture, Adoration, and Amputation
Many feral cats face the wilds of rural and urban settings without anyone but their fellow felines to depend on. However, when a crisis emerges, committed cat lovers jump to the rescue and devote much of their time and energy to give cats a chance at life.
At a feral cat colony on the island of O'ahu in Pearl City, Hawaii, a tame and socialized male cat was managing the dozen or so felines that makeup one of the island's many colonies of cats trying to make it in the wild. Many of these colonies are partly supported by island residents who cannot keep them in their homes but want to play a role in caring for them with food, medical care, and love.
For more stories from Alex Lemieux, check out Very Shy Kitten Gets Rescued, And After Being Treated And Getting A Whole Lotta Love, Shows His True Purrsonality and Rescued 'Fraidy Cat' Finds Compassion Among Fellow Felines, Lets Guard Down And Shows His True Self.
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Although cat colonies of the domestic breed share the complex matriarchal hierarchies of wild cats, the male of this group was different, not only because of his character in looking out over his feline compatriots but his physical condition. A concerned citizen noticed that he had been dragging his legs on the ground. They were unsure what could have happened to the white and gray cat and took him to a local veterinarian. Reportedly, after X-rays were taken, the Pearl City resident was told it was a "tail pull" injury—also known as a sacrocaudal fracture.
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Around this time, Skyla and Don Hammond, the cat-loving team anchoring Clowder House Feline Rescue, got involved after seeing posts on the Catopia Facebook page. "Sometimes cats can recover from those," Skyla explained.
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Yet, a local veterinarian insisted the cat have his tail removed for hygienic purposes and to mitigate any underlying internal damage. After undergoing expensive surgery to amputate his tail, Bandit, as he was named, had another round of X-rays which revealed dreadful news.
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Dr. Jamie Furitani at Mililani Mauka Veterinary Clinic took another X-ray and found the real cause of Bandit's injuries—a gunshot wound. When the original X-rays were conducted, "had they did a half an inch higher up, they would have seen he had been shot with a pellet gun," Skyla explained. The original veterinarians noted that Bandit had a puncture wound near his tail, but their imaging didn't capture high enough on his body.
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"That [Bandit] was the first of our spinal injury cats," Skyla said. She explained that in the years she and her husband have cared for multiple spine-injured cats with paralysis, Bandit has made "so much progress."
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Bandit has worked through a monthly acupuncture regimen, cold laser therapy, hyperbaric chamber sessions, as well as love and attention from Skyla and Don. Fighting back against paralysis, Bandit has feeling and movement in his back legs, albeit little. Since he's received electro-acupuncture, he hasn't lost any muscle mass.
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Some would think this would cause a cat discomfort with pins in his skin and electricity shocking his muscles; however, Bandit "just lays there and purrs, and he's just so happy," Skyla elucidated.
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"We're not giving up on him," she added. "We hope that he eventually will walk."
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As Bandit continues to recover and Clowder House Feline Rescue fundraises to support his therapy and growing quality of life, he has come to be loved by all who encounter him. For example, one of the veterinarian technicians that recently joined the team helping Bandit was initially nervous around cats. Fortunately, Bandit quelled her concerns with kindness, patience, and purrs so she could calmly administer the best care.
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