by Paula Hunsaker

Feral Paws Rescue Group in Fresno shares with us some of their animal rescue adventures every month. Check out KRL’s article about Feral Paws to learn more about them and check out their website.

Mathew is a very sweet loving seven-month-old Tabby kitty. Mathew found himself at CCSPCA, a high-kill shelter on August 27, 2021. He was in the shelter clinic just waiting out his holding time as a stray before being euthanized. Mathew’s time was going to run out at 4 p.m. on September 2, 2021.

You know the saying of being in the right place at the right time? That is the story of Mathew. I was at the shelter to pick up some cats that were tagged for our rescue, when a staff person told me about Mathew, that he was in the shelter clinic and was out of time, and was going to be euthanized at 4 p.m. Staff told me that he is very sweet, but he has what looks like a broken back leg. I was asked if I wanted to pull him since he is out of time and will be put down. I told her let me call my vet and see if I pull him can I get him into the vet today. So, I called and it just so happens that they had planned to do paperwork in the afternoon, so they didn’t set any appointments. I was told, if I pull him, to immediately bring him over to the office and the vet will look at him.

Matthew

I told the staff yes, I was going to pull Mathew. I asked if there was any medical information to take to my vet to look at, and I was told he wasn’t treated at the shelter clinic during those several days he was there. While driving to the vet office, Mathew was crying a lot like he was in terrible pain. After getting to the vet, and upon taking him out of the carrier, we couldn’t even touch his leg without him crying, because he was in so much pain. When Mathew would stand up his back leg would swing freely across his good back leg. I told my vet that there was no medical treatment given to him at the shelter, and that he was just in a kennel at the shelter clinic waiting for his time to run out and to be put down. My vet looked at Mathew and he told me, “That is no reason to put this animal down. He is otherwise healthy and a very young good-looking cat.”

Every time the vet touched his leg, Mathew’s cries were just heartbreaking; he was clearly in so much pain. So, we took Mathew back to do x-rays. Trying to take his x-ray and moving his leg around for the photo was just heartbreaking because of the pain. It was clear from the x-rays that his leg was broken. My vet was glad to see that the break wasn’t at a joint. After my vet studied the break, he said he was upset that this cat had been in a kennel since August 27 in this much pain without any medical attention. My vet then said since his afternoon was open, he would do the surgery right now.

Mathew was prepped for surgery that would take two hours to do. During surgery he was going to neutered him as well. The vet was going to go into the leg and pin the bones together. He assured me that Mathew should recover without any issues with his back leg. I got to go back and visit with Mathew after surgery in the vet’s recovery room. It’s horrible that he had to go through so many days of pain, and looking at him, I was glad I could help him move on to a much better life. Mathew will have a recovery time once he is back at the rescue, but the pain will be gone for this special kitty.

While he was in surgery, I looked at the time. It was a little after 4 p.m., and I thought to myself, if I wasn’t at the shelter at the right time and the staff didn’t tell me about Mathew, he would have been euthanized at 4 p.m. Instead, he is in surgery getting to begin a new life, and he’ll be looking for a forever home once he is healed.

Everything was meant to be for Mathew today. What were the odds that my vet had the afternoon open with no appointments? But other plans for the afternoon were perfect for Mathew and he truly is one lucky young kitty. Mathew had to stay at the vet overnight. I can’t wait to go pick him up and not hear the horrible cries from when he was in such bad pain. It’s rescue pulls like this that makes being in rescue so rewarding…to go that extra mile to save a life. I am very thankful that the staff at CCSPCA took the time to tell me about Mathew. Now he’ll get all the love and care he needs.

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Feral Paws every other month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Feral Paws.