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A sweet injured kitten in Edmonton, Alberta Canada touched hearts and has been helped by an outpouring of care, love, support and donations from animal lovers over the past month.
Today he achieved a milestone in his recovery when he had a front leg amputated. Now he can complete his healing in foster care in preparation for finding his forever home.
Henry weighed just a pound and it was uncertain whether he could survive when he was found injured at the side of the road in Edmonton, Alberta and was brought for help.
Henry is in the care of the Edmonton Humane Society and his healing journey has been widely followed since he came to EHS in May. Thanks to strong support, a ‘Help Heal Henry’ gofundme page has raised thousands of dollars over its initial goal to provide for Henry’s medical care, with the rest of the money earmarked to help other animals in the organization’s care.
Henry’s adorable photos and his deserving tale have brought animal lovers together to wish him well and to help him and the other animals who will benefit from his fundraiser.
His friends at EHS call him a little warrior cat because of his strong spirit and determination.
The then-tiny grey kitten was found at the side of a highway, severely injured after apparently being struck by a vehicle. The kind people who found him brought him to an emergency veterinary clinic, where he was bandaged up and put on IV. Because he was a stray, he was transferred to the Edmonton Humane Society.
EHS tells what happened next: “When Operations Supervisor Mariah took a look at his injuries and held his quiet body in her hands, she wondered whether this kitten was going to pull through. There was a gaping wound and exposed tendons on one of his skinny hind legs. One front leg was badly dislocated, and there was obvious head trauma. It was love at first sight, and Mariah decided to name him Henry.
“The EHS veterinary team checked Henry and made him as comfortable as possible as he faced his critical recovery period. There was a definite possibility that Henry’s injuries were too much for his tiny body to overcome.
“When morning came, Henry showed his true spirit – he is a warrior! Overnight he had eaten well and was already vocal about wanting some love and attention. It was a great sign!”
The little warrior recovered from the head trauma and grew big and healthy enough to have amputation surgery on a front leg that was not going to heal properly and would hold him back if not removed.
His back injuries healed “really, really nicely,” EHS spokeswoman Kolbi Kukurba told CBC News Tuesday morning.
EHS gave an update on Henry at Facebook today following his surgery, saying: “The #warriorcat is out of surgery!
“This morning under the attentive care of EHS veterinary staff, Henry had his left front leg removed. The medical team reports that the surgery went off without a hitch, and Henry is resting soundly.
“An animal health technologist assisting with the surgery shared that Henry was purring right after surgery — the only kitten she’s ever heard purr right after amputation! That’s our Henry.”
Henry will remain in foster care until his caregivers feel he is ready to go to his forever home. They anticipate strong interest when he is put up for adoption.
See our earlier post, Henry gets help to heal.
Listen to the audio of an interview with Edmonton Humane Society spokeswoman Kolbi Kukurba, who speaks with CBC’s Mark Connolly about Henry’s journey so far:
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