The cold and snowy winter of 2013-14 has been especially hard for cats and dogs left outside, those unfortunates who are lost, stray or chained outside by their owners.
The Lakewood Animal Shelter in Lakewood, Ohio, the associated CCLAS (Citizens Committee For The Lakewood Animal Shelter) organization, and the Lakewood Animal Hospital are caring for a cat named Patrick who is the second cat in the area to be rescued recently after being found frozen to the ground.
Patrick was found last Friday, all alone, emaciated, severely frostbitten and frozen to the ground. The good Samaritan who rescued him had to use a broom and shovel to free him. Patrick had raw, open areas on his frostbitten feet, his ears were affected, and his tail will drop off from the frostbite if it is not amputated.
“He wouldn’t have survived much longer out there if it wasn’t for that good Samaritan,” Lakewood Animal Hospital vet tech Amy Parker told Channel 19 Action News.
“His ears have severe frostbite. The tips of his ears are black. That skin will eventually fall off. The skin of the end of the feet is dead and some of it has already come off the back foot,” Parker told the news cews. “He was actually stuck to the ground. The man who found him had to use a shovel and a broom to dislodge him from the ground and put him in a box and brought him to us.”
CCLAS (Citizens Committee For The Lakewood Animal Shelter) is working to help Patrick and is sharing updates on his condition and story at their Facebook page.
After a night at the vet hospital, Patrick was taken to the shelter, and then transferred into foster care with a CCLAS volunteer. A return visit to the vet on Monday revealed that the sweet cat’s condition was worse than originally thought.
CCLAS made the following update mid-week, saying: “After the interviews, he was really worn out, but on Wednesday he was acting like a toddler according to his foster. He was always into something or wanting her undivided attention.
“We also recently tested his stool and it came back negative for parasites – which is great news so we can just focus on the frostbite issues.”
Patrick’s foster caregiver, CCLAS and the medical staff are committed to seeing Patrick through to a good recovery. He is not expected to be ready for adoption for several months.
Patrick’s caregivers don’t know if he is someone’s missing cat or if he was abandoned. They say the friendly cat must have been living on his own for a while and he deserves a good home.
Patrick’s rescue follows that of Frosty, who was found in Elyria, Ohio and whose story we shared in Frosty: Kitten Found Frozen to the Ground Gets Help.
Those wishing to donate toward Patrick’s care can go to the donation page at the CCLAS website or make direct payment to Lakewood Animal Hospital.
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19 Action News|Cleveland, OH|News, Weather, Sports
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CCLAS (Citizens Committee For The Lakewood Animal Shelter) is a non-profit that works with the city of Lakewood to improve and protect the lives of Lakewood’s pet companion population. By providing financial and volunteer resources, CCLAS aids in the adoption of abandoned animals including, but not limited to, cats and dogs, and aids in their well being during their stay at the Lakewood Animal Shelter. Through fundraising, adoption events, and the foster and spay/neuter programs, CCLAS interacts with the Lakewood community to promote education and advocacy regarding the Shelter and responsible pet ownership.
