It was an act of cruelty that landed Cupid the cat in the arms of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington on Valentines Day, but there, he found love and the will to survive.
On a day dedicated to love, a woman in Hardy County, West Virginia, opened her door to find an orange tabby. What would usually be a nice surprise proved to be a horrifying shock. The cat had been shot in the head with an arrow. And the projectile was still protruding from the poor cat’s face.
Staff from a local animal rescue rushed the injured cat to an animal hospital, where he received pain medicine to ease his suffering. But, the rescue group didn’t have the necessary funds to treat the cat. They contacted Animal Welfare League of Arlington for help.
The league stepped right in and transported the injured tabby to an animal emergency room. X-rays were performed, more pain medicine was given, and surgery was performed the next day.
During the operation, surgeons snipped the arrow free with bolt cutters. Fortunately, none of the kitty cat’s vital organs had been penetrated. But major infection had already set in as the arrow had been lodged inside him for an estimated time of a week.
A Sweet Ginger Earns a Loving Name
It was the day of his surgery when the ginger cat received his name. The people working with him had fallen in love with the darling boy and decided he was most definitely Cupid.
Chelsea Jones of the AWLA told CNN, “We named him Cupid partly because he was found on Valentine’s Day and also because of how incredibly sweet and affectionate he was — despite being in such pain and discomfort.”
Though he came through surgery, Cupid was still in a critical spot. Cupid’s new Instagram page reported, “His infection was very severe, so we are treating him with two types of antibiotics. This was a very intense surgery for a young, underweight cat.”
But Chelsea said, “He’s a fighter and doing great so far.”
“He has a great appetite and adores people. All he wants to do is eat and snuggle.”
The latest update reports good news, “Cupid’s bacterial culture just came back and none of the bacteria we’re dealing with is antibiotic resistant.”
Which means Cupid should continue to heal and overcome the infection!
Giving Hearts Flood AWLA with Donations
To help fund Cupid’s estimated $6,500 in medical costs, the league put out a request for donations. Their latest update reveals that amount has been well surpassed. The total amount raised to help Cupid and the AWLA stands at more than $80,000! Sweet Cupid’s story has touched cat lovers everywhere and they are reaching out to help him and other animals in need.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8yzwPdhsHW/
If you want to donate, check out “For Cupid, with love.” Or, head to your local shelter and give time or cash to help animals searching for their forever home.
H/T: www.cnn.com
Feature Image: @savingcupid/Instagram