A Horrific Story with a Happy Ending for some of the Cats

Stephanie Walker, of Walkers Animal Rescue Centre, received a visit to her office from two ladies (they did not have a phone) on Friday, September 2, 2005 asking her to go and pick up a little orange male cat, now called Calvin Cat, from the Selby Road area of Nanaimo. Calvin Cat had the most horrendous injuries, clearly deliberately inflicted by some pervert. His throat had been slashed across and vertically. Some sort of rod had been pushed into a gaping hole. The photographs and video of the cat before his surgery are too gruesome to post.

Within an hour the cat was flown from Nanaimo to Vancouver where a kindly volunteer picked him up and rushed him to Atlas Animal Hospital. As soon as he arrived he was operated on. Thanks so much to Dr. Bhullar for providing this little creature with affordable veterinary care. The wounds were carefully sewn up and a drainage tube was inserted in his throat.

Little Calvin Cat was flown back to Nanaimo on Monday, September 5. He is now in Walker’s new office, where I met him today (September 5). He was cowering in a corner under a desk which is hardly surprising. So I joined this bewitching little guy and spent the afternoon under a desk. Eventually he couldn’t resist Temptations.

I wish Calvin Cat well and I hope that he finds the perfect home. If any cat deserves it, he does. I never cease to be amazed at how forgiving animals are and how they are ready to trust people, the species which has inflicted so much pain on them.

There are a few lessons to be learned from this story.

1. We need rescue groups. So many of them work with difficult cases. Helping our animal friends is a commitment to work for our animals. Groups should not feel that other groups are taking funds away from them or see them as rivals. There is a surplus of animals in desperate need of care.

2. There are hazards to the life of outdoor cats. If outside they need to be closely supervised. I should note that Walkers has now been working on three other torture cases in the Selby Road area of Nanaimo. Another really traumatised cat, who now bears the distinguished name of Berkely, had to have his tail amputated as it was skinned to the bone. A grey and white kitty has still not been trapped. His teeth have been worked over with a pair of pliers, according to a witness. A fourth cat had to be euthanized as his pelvis was bludgeoned beyond repair.

3. Cruelty cases like this need to be taken seriously, as who knows who the next victims will be. The police have been notified of these four cases. They are investigating them and looking for further evidence. The press has been notified, as people in the area need to be extra-vigilant with their cats. So far there has been no response from the press.

4. We need veterinarians in all areas who offer affordable care to animals. It is sad that Nanaimo animals have to be flown to the mainland to receive affordable care.

In this case, thanks to Walkers Animal Rescue Centre for working with these very difficult (and expensive to treat) cats and for the round-the-clock hours that they operate.