A STRAY cat caught in a paddock burn off near Naracoorte has risen from the ashes thanks a group of dedicated individuals.
The injured cat – aptly dubbed Phoenix – was was found almost seven weeks ago by a farmer who contacted Kalangadoo’s Cindy Tully to help.
Meeting with the farmer at the Penola Veterinary Centre, Ms Tully handed care over to veterinary nurse Deanne O’Brien.
Although he was badly injured, Ms O’Brien said Phoenix showed a will to live.
“He was in such a poor state when we first got him in,” she said.
“He was full of infection, he smelled horrible and we were sure he was not going to make it.
“But the funny thing is you could just tell he wanted to live, the first thing he did was push for a pat even though he was in so much pain.
“From that point on we knew he was a fighter, so we decided to give it all we had.”
Phoenix then started a long treatment process, which included debriding his burns, putting him on a strong course of antibiotics to fight infection and around-the-clock care to keep him alive.
During this time, Ms O’Brien said Phoenix continued to show his fighting spirit.
“Because he was so unwell we were not able to fully put him under anaesthetic when doing treatment on him,” she said.
“He was sedated and had heavy pain relief, but it was still not completely comfortable for him and he took it like a champ.
“I do not know many cats that would just sit back and let you treat them like he did.”
Phoenix spent the next six weeks in the clinic and heading home with staff on weekends while he recovered.
However, Phoenix’s treatment came at a substatial cost, despite being subsidised by the clinic.
Ms Tully has been using social media since Phoenix’s accident to keep the public up to date with his condition and raise funds for his treatment.
The community rallied behind Phoenix, raising all of the money needed to cover his medication with the veterinary clinic donating its time and staff.
“It is quite a big expense to look after an animal for such a long time,” Ms O’Brien said.
“We were very lucky that clinic director Tony Tully was so generous with Phoenix’s care and donated so much time and energy towards him.
“All of us in the clinic had our turn looking after him and doing whatever we could to help him – he is just such a special guy, we couldn’t say no.”
Now healthy, microchipped, vaccinated and desexed, Phoenix is looking for a new home.
Ms O’Brien said Phoenix would fit perfectly into almost any family environment.
“Phoenix is one of the most relaxed, well natured cats that I have ever encountered,” she said.
“He is just happy to sit with you and get some love whenever you want it.
“The only stipulations that come along with having Phoenix are that he cannot spend too much time outside due to increased risk of sunburn, he gets along with small dogs and female cats but is not the biggest fan of male cats and the new owners must keep his Facebook page up to date for all of his loyal followers.”
Those interested in taking Phoenix home can visit Phoenix’s Story on Facebook for more information or email adoptingphoenix@gmail.com to receive an application form.
