Cat recovering after botched declawing, rescue clinic raises concerns about abuse

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Local animal advocates are nursing a cat they believe may have been severely abused, back to health.

“This cat is precious and should never have gone through what it went through,” said Rita Bowman, Founder of Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue.

The 2-year-old tabby, now known as Mercy, was rescued off the side of the road and taken to Montevallo Animal Clinic Thursday morning. A driver saw the cat get tossed out a vehicle and pulled over to help.

“She was driving down the road and saw someone throw the cat out the window. She almost ran over it, but she stopped and picked the cat up and brought it to the vet,” said Bowman.

But when the veterinarian staff took a closer look at Mercy, they realized what the cat had experienced was far worse. Doctors say, someone tried to declaw the cat and then coated the cat’s paws in some type of chemical. According to the animal clinic, the chemical burned more than half the padding off Mercy’s paws and she had started to do whatever she could to get rid of the pain.

“The cat - as most animals do - will start licking on it or they will start chewing on it. Whether to take it off or try to do something about the pain and that’s what he feels like has happened,” said Bowman, “This cat had gnawed all 4 of its paw to the point - because of the pain that was involved - that you’re showing tendons now.”

Doctors initially planned to amputate at least one of Mercy’s legs, but because she has an infection - a surgery is too risky right now. Instead, she is on what doctor’s are calling “supportive care” where she’s being given antibiotics and pain medicine to get her healthier. When she’s healthy enough, they’ll decide what surgery is needed and what Mercy’s quality of life could be.

“All 4 of her little paws are wrapped in a solution that will help try and regenerate some of the tissue damage,” said Bowman.

Bowman says it could be months before Mercy is healthy again and ready to be adopted. She’s asking community members to donate money to help with the cat’s long-term health care. If you’re interested in donating, click the link here : https://www.facebook.com/kittykathavenrescue/

In the meantime, she is working with the Montevallo Animal Hospital to file a police report on animal cruelty and find the person responsible.

“Asking the community to rally with us. Somebody out there knows something. Somebody knows what happened here,” said Bowman.

Bowman didn’t have an exact street address, but says if you were in the area around Montevallo Animal Clinic around 10 am Thursday morning and saw anything, please reach out to law enforcement.

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