A cat that was tied into two reusable grocery bags and discarded at the side of the road now has a chance for a better life.
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“There was absolutely no way for him to move his legs or feet,” wrote Hillside Kennels Animal Control owner/operator Tracey Gibson in a post on Facebook. “He couldn’t get out. He was left there to die.”
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The one-year-old male, charcoal gray and white cat was discovered Sunday by a man named Matt, who was jogging along Mile Hill Road in Paris, when he spotted a furry face staring at him.
The man called Hillside that provides animal control for the County of Brant, and waited 25 minutes comforting the feline until an officer arrived.
“He is the sweetest cat ever,” Gibson shared. “He is all purrs as soon as you come near him. He’s a lovely boy.”
Gibson said the bag was pretty tight on his throat, likely to make sure the cat couldn’t get out of it.
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“There could have been a neighbor who was mad the cat was on his property, or it could have been someone tied him up to make sure he didn’t come home,” she said. “Cats are pretty smart. You can drive them somewhere and they can still find their way home.”
Gibson said the cat was healthy, but that may not have been the case if it had been another day or two.
The Facebook post with photos of the cat as he was found garnered almost 500 comments and 1,800 shares as people expressed outrage over the incident.
“There’s got to be somebody out there who knows who he belongs to, but it’s pretty rare that people call to say they recognize the animal,” Gibson observed. “Even if the cat had a microchip, whoever owned it could say they gave it away to someone. There’s no way to prove ownership unless the person was seen doing it.”
The cat was held for four days at Hillside and on Thursday went for updated vaccinations at a veterinarian in Ayr before being taken to the Toronto Cat Rescue based in Kitchener.
The cat has been named Matt after the man who found him and is currently in a foster home.
“Please consider adopting through a reputable rescue,” said Gibson. “Cats like Matt only get second chances because of organizations and rescues who care enough to save them.”
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