After spending most of his life locked up in a pet container, Samuel the cat was saved. Although his rescuers believed it was too late when he was discovered, he was brought to BARC – an animal sanctuary in Houston, Texas. Samuel had been kept in a tiny carrier for two years and was reduced to skeletal remains. The cat had a lengthy list of expensive medical issues, including mangy-related bulging eyes. His prognosis was so bad that he would be put down as soon as the shelter’s waiting period was up.
Leslie Raines, a veterinary technician in the Houston region, was at home and stumbled upon a picture of a skinny cat that had tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus uploaded online by someone. He looked so dejected, but he knew it wouldn’t give him a good start in attempting to leave the shelter. So I wrote in several of the rescue organizations that he would take care of him if he could obtain help.
Samuel was adopted by Save A Purrfect Cat Rescue (SAPCR), one of Leslie’s clinic patients offered to take the ill cat out of the shelter. Leslie thought he was going to pass away while confined in the automobile, as he had pressure injuries from being confined for a long time, was critically underweight, and covered in mange. Medical care started as soon as Samuel arrived at the vet, and they discovered his injuries were severe.
Leslie remained upbeat despite her disheveled appearance and complex complexion. Samuel’s dread of being allowed free rein in a cozy home atmosphere changed as he put on weight and his vision improved. He transitioned from hiding for days under the sofa to sitting atop his cat carrier, which Leslie described as his “comfort zone.”
Lesley described how it seemed like the cat had to learn how to be a cat as he started to come out of his shell more and more. He lacked playing skills and would tumble off furniture if you set him on it, and walking on the floor felt like walking on burning coals.
