METHUEN, MASS. (WHDH) - A kitten that was found suffering from critical injuries by a Good Samaritan in Haverhill last month is recovering after undergoing a risky and rare leg amputation, officials said.
The woman found the then three-week-old kitten after it tumbled into her basement window on June 16 and suffered a leg injury so severe that MSPCA staffers were unable to save the limb.
“Basically his entire front leg and paw were ‘de-gloved,’ which means all of the skin and most of the tissue had been torn away, exposing the bones,” said MSPCA-Nevins Farm Adoption Center Director Meaghan O’Leary. “This is a horrific type of injury that we typically see in cats hit by cars—but in this case we just don’t know how this happened to him.”
The shelter veterinary team named the kitten Benji, who is now 8-weeks-old. He was so young when he arrived that he had yet to be weaned from his mom, according to the shelter. His mother has not been found.
Benji, weighing a mere 10 ounces, was bottle fed and bandaged up before undergoing successful surgery on June 20.
“In this case we had to do what we could to save him, as we would do for any of the animals in our care,” said O’Leary. “And now, a month after his surgery, he is adjusting well to his new reality.”
Benji is as friendly as they come and enjoys belly rubs. The MSPCA says there are three potential adopters eager to take him home.
Benji’s surgery and after-care, which totaled about $1,500, was paid for by the Angels for Animals fund, a restricted fund that provides medical care for the hundreds of sick and injured animals that the MSPCA-Nevins Farm treats every year. Anyone who wishes to donate to the fund may do so by clicking here.
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