A case of cut and run Cat found abandoned after botched neutering
http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/55911.asp
A case of cut and run
Cat found abandoned after botched neutering
By JAYETTE BOLINSKI
STAFF WRITER
The name Hercules befits a cat with the will to survive a botched home neutering attempt and being dumped in the country afterward.
Hercules, the character from Greek mythology, was renowned for his strength and courage.
Hercules, the friendly white yellow-eyed cat, was found recently on East Hazel Dell Road with a badly infected three-inch incision in his lower abdomen.
It was so infected it had a foul smell, said Tami Richmond, an investigator with Illinois Humane, an organization that looks into reports of animal abuse, cruelty and neglect.
Officials believe Hercules' owner attempted to neuter the animal at home instead of taking it to a veterinarian. He had a jagged incision from his abdomen down to his testicles and around.
For some reason, the owner later dumped the cat and his litter box on the side of the road.
The cruelty of the situation has police and animal abuse investigators looking for the person who apparently took matters into his own hands and tried to operate on Hercules, a name given to him after he was found and taken to a veterinarian for treatment.
"If, by chance, it was a malicious intent of some sort, we'd like to get hold of that individual," said Jane McBride, also an investigator with Illinois Humane.
A worker with Lake Area Recycling saw Hercules and the litter box April 28 while she was out collecting recyclables and tried unsuccessfully to catch him. Upset, she called a woman she knows in the area who works with animals. That woman called Richmond, who went to search for the cat but couldn't find him immediately.
Richmond got in touch with the worker, and the two went together the next day to look again for the cat. They found him sitting in a dead tree about 30 feet into the woods.
"He was so friendly immediately," Richmond said. "We took him to the vet right away."
That veterinarian, who treats sick and injured animals for Illinois Humane, said it appeared someone had taken a knife and tried to neuter Hercules on their own. She performed surgery on the cat, fixing the botched neutering attempt. He stayed at the vet's office for five days.
Richmond gave him the name Hercules because "he needed a strong name for a kitty who's been through all that."
McBride, who has been involved with the Animal Protective League for years, said she has never seen a case in which someone tried to spay or neuter an animal at home.
"Somebody could get really mad at a cat that's sprayed all over," she speculated, noting that in Hercules' case, the person who tried to neuter him could face criminal charges of aggravated cruelty to an animal or torture.
There are programs available in which organizations offer to pick up all or part of the cost of having pets spayed or neutered, McBride noted - in most cases $50 and up to neuter males and $100 and up to spay females.
Legislation pending in the Illinois General Assembly, the Animal Population Control Act, is expected to take some of the burden off low-income pet owners by allowing them to get their dogs and cats sterilized for a $10 co-pay. Veterinarians would be reimbursed by the state Department of Public Health for the rest of the cost of the procedure.
The co-pay also could be used for rabies shots. The program would be funded in part through a voluntary income tax check-off.
At present, Hercules is recuperating from his surgery. Richmond said he is friendly with her dog and her three boys and would make a good family pet.
"He's just happy to get attention. He's good with pretty much everybody," she said.
Hercules is about a year old. He's a medium-hair domestic cat with all white fur and gray tiger stripes on his tail. He has all his shots and will be microchipped soon. He is functioning fine and has no leftover problems from his surgery.
Anyone interested in adopting Hercules can call Illinois Humane at 698-3804. The organization is accepting donations to help pay for Hercules' veterinarian bill, which has not been completely tabulated yet. Donations can be sent to Illinois Humane, P.O. Box 3364, Springfield, IL 62708.
Crime Stoppers is seeking tips about the person who tried to operate on Hercules. Anyone with information can call 788-8427 or 800-397-228. Callers remain anonymous and could qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
Jayette Bolinski can be reached at 788-1530 or [email protected].
