If someone has to surrender an animal, there is a certain way to do it. Dropping them outside the door when the shelter is closed for the day is not one of them. A poor kitten was left like this at a rural shelter in Arizona.
The kitten was brought to the Arizona Animal Welfare League through their Rural Outreach program. Right away, they discovered that this poor kitten had been painted!
The black and white kitten had red and blue spots of paint all over her body, which made it clear that she went through some rough times. The shelter isn’t exactly sure what happened to her, but they have some ideas. Now that she’s safe from her past though, they decided to name her Freedom.
What Could a Painted Cat Mean?
Paint might not seem like the worst form of animal abuse, but any type of fur coloring that is not safe for animals could cause harm to a cat. Therefore, without knowing why Freedom was painted, it is difficult to tell what underlying health effects she could have as a result.
There are a lot of possible reasons as to why kittens are painted. It is possible that some kids did it when a parent wasn’t closely watching them, or it could be something much worse.
Sometimes, cats are used as “bait animals” in dog fighting rings. This is a horrible thing to imagine, but sometimes people will paint the fur of the cats so people can place bets on them.
Freedom seems too healthy to have been in that situation, but you really never know. Either way, it is clear that she was not properly cared for in the past. The shelter plans to do everything they can to help her though.
A Future for Freedom
Currently, Freedom appears to be healthy beyond the paint stains, but the staff at AAWL are still observing her regularly to make sure no issues arise. She has made a quick recovery so far, and she is actually very cuddly and loves being pet by the staff members.
“We are fortunate that Freedom is healthy and very social but she is still under the observation of our medical team to ensure there are no underlying issues,” said Michael Morefield, the shelter communications director.
The staff checked, but they did not find a tag or microchip on Freedom. So, once they are sure she is healthy, she will be up for adoption. She hopes to find a loving home to give her a space to heal, and luckily, there are already families that are interested in her!
H/T: coleandmarmalade.com
Featured Image: Screenshot, Arizona Animal Welfare YouTube