LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - A kitten is lucky to be alive after he was found stuck in the wheel of a truck in Lawrence Friday.
Lawrence Animal Control officers had been trying to trap a litter of kittens and “get them off the streets,” the MSPCA said in a blog post. But one of the kittens had run away scared. A local towing company was able to free the four-week-old kitten from the wheel, and he was rushed to Bulger Veterinary Hospital.
“This little guy got scared and hid in the tire,” Meaghan O’Leary, director of operations at the MSPCA in Methuen, where the kitten was eventually brought, said. “No one could find him until they heard him crying. It was just so heartbreaking.”
He is expected to undergo surgery this week, and then he’ll go into a foster home until he’s old enough to be adopted.
“Our vets immediately cleaned him up, sutured a large wound on his leg, and bandaged his foot,” O’Leary said. “We’re optimistic that we’ll be able to save his leg, but we’ll likely need to amputate some toes.”
O’Leary also said it will take the kitten about four to six weeks to recover from the surgery, during which he will stay in foster care and receive regular check-ins for his bandages and foot.
The MSPCA said they are looking for adopters who have the time to allow the kitten to acclimate to new surroundings. They expect he’ll need minimal follow-up care on his foot, but still recommend adopters form a close relationship with a veterinarian.
Interested adopters can apply through a form on the MSPCA website. Because the cost of the kitten’s surgery and other care is expected to exceed $5,000, those interested in donating to help offset the costs may do so through the MSPCA Facebook.
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