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By GREGORY MATHIS
If it’s true what they say about cats, Isaac may have used a few of his nine lives to escape death after being shot in the face last week. Less than a week after taking a .22-caliber bullet under his left eye, the two-year-old orange tabby was expected to be recovering and resting comfortably with his Norwell family back in Glen Park yesterday (Tuesday).
The cat, which belongs to the Ferrar family, was a bloodied mess when he staggered out of the woods near a neighbor’s home last Wednesday night in the mobile home park located off Washington Street in Norwell. The neighbor, Evelyn Mikkola, noticed Isaac walking out of the woods behind her mobile home and watched as the cat limped under her parked car. She called the cat by name and he came to her.
" He was in bad shape, he was covered in blood, " said Mikkola’s mother, whose name is also Evelyn. " We thought a coyote had got to him. "
Evelyn, the daughter, collected the cat and brought him to Roberts Animal Hospital in Hanover where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet, as well as some bone and metal fragments caused by the bullet.
Dr. Charles Patterson, the veterinarian who performed the surgery Thursday, said Isaac was doing remarkably well on Monday morning. He was eating by Sunday and was able to clean himself, both signs Patterson said pointed to the animal healing. Patterson said he was expecting to pull the feeding tube Monday, paving the way for the animal to be released and returned home Tuesday.
Patterson said since Thursday’s surgery, the cat is healing at a very rapid pace.
" He’s recovering three times faster than I thought he would, " Patterson said. " He’s one tough kitty. "
Molly Ferrar, the cat’s owner, said she didn’t find out her cat had been shot until the following morning. She said sometimes the cat does not return home and stays out overnight.
Ferrar said she had absolutely no idea who may have done this.
" He hangs out at this trailer park and the development behind us, Ridge Hill Road, " Ferrar said. " He came out of the woods, so I think it happened between those two places. He kind of follows the path in the woods. "
While Ferrar does not know who may have done this, she has a possible theory on the reason why.
" He’s a good animal hunter — birds, squirrels — I think he may have been in someone’s bird feeder or something and I think somebody didn’t want him around. But there are other ways to deal with it. I’d love to catch the person who did this. "
Ferrar said Isaac looked awful the other day following surgery, but his condition is continuing to improve.
" He’s doing really well now, " Ferrar said. " He started eating yesterday and should be coming home tomorrow (Tuesday). "
Ferrar said her three children are starting to feel better knowing their cat’s health is improving.
" My kids are better now, but they were really bothered by it, " Ferrar said. " My eight-year-old son didn’t want to go out. My four-year-old son, Kyle, is so attached to the cat. He really loves him. He cried himself to sleep one night.
" But he’ll be excited when he comes home, " Ferrar said on Monday.
Patterson said the .22-caliber bullet entered the left cheek under the eye, traveled through the cat’s mouth and shattered the back two molars. The bullet then traveled to his jaw and shattered that. When the bullet shattered, it sent pieces of metal into the side of the neck, according to Patterson. The biggest piece of metal flattened out and lodged under the scapula, which is the shoulder blade.
Patterson said the alignment on Isaac’s jaw is good, but he will have to chew on the right side because of the damage done on the left side of his face.
Patterson said the path of the bullet and the remnants of the bullet miraculously managed to miss all the cat’s vital structures.
Patterson said he was not going after the fragment lodged underneath the shoulder blade.
" He’s a very lucky kitty, " Patterson said. " A centimeter or a centimeter-and-a-half to the right and he would have been dead.
" He’s a young male cat and they can ignore a lot of pain, which he appears to be doing, " Patterson said.
Although original reports indicated the cat may have been shot point-blank, Patterson said it appears Isaac was shot from a fair distance away.
" He was probably sitting there upright and staring straight ahead at the person who shot him, " Patterson said. " Whoever was shooting him was looking to kill him and they missed. "
Mikkola said it makes her and her neighbors nervous that someone is shooting a .22-caliber gun in the neighborhood.
" We thought he was shot point blank with a pellet gun, but it was a .22 caliber gun, I can’t even imagine anyone doing that, " Mikkola said. " Yes it does make me nervous someone is shooting a gun in that area. "
Mikkola said her daughter often walks their dog through the wooded area where Isaac was believed to be shot and children often walk and play near the wooded area.
Mikkola offered to help pay $500 to cover some of Isaac’s medical expenses, but the donation was refunded by Roberts Animal Hospital and a fund has been set up to help the family pay for the medical expenses.
" Isaac often came over and played in my yard, " said Mikkola, who also owns two cats. " I got to know him really well. My heart just breaks to see him in that condition. "
Ferrar said she is grateful for the help she’s received from people in the neighborhood, as well as the Animal Rescue League, the groups associated with that organization, and those at Roberts Animal Hospital.
" They’ve all been such a good help, " Ferrar said. " That’s a lot of money. I couldn’t get my cat back if I had to pay for it (surgery and other medical expenses). "
The expenses are expected to exceed $2,000.
Ferrar said she is hoping to raise enough money through the fund to pay for her cat’s medical expenses as well as turn some money over to the Animal Rescue League to help families caught in similar circumstances.
To donate to the fund, checks can be sent to: Pookies Pals, Isaac Fund, P.O. Box 226, Norwell, MA 02061.
" He’s going to need ongoing care, " Mikkola said.
Lt. Alan Borgal, the investigating officer for the Animal Rescue League, said the incident has taught the Ferrar family a valuable lesson.
" Try to know where your pets are, " Ferrar said. " He will never go out of my house again. "
Norwell police are also involved in the investigation with the Animal Rescue League. Detective Sgt. Dennis Lynch and Officer Robert Clark are handling the case, according to Police Chief Robert Galvin.
" We have had two calls from individuals upping the ante by $500, so now there’s a $2,000 reward for information, " Galvin said.
Galvin said no witnesses have come forward and there were no reports of gunshots in the area the time the cat was wounded.
Galvin said if convicted of cruelty to animal charges, a person could face a fine of $1,000 and/or one year in prison.
If you have information, you can call police at (781) 659-7979.
