By Andrew W. Griffin

Red Dirt Report, editor

Posted: March 28, 2012

reddirtreporter@gmail.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – A friendly, two-year old black-and-white cat named Figaro remains at a Moore hospital Wednesday after being seriously injured in a case of horrific animal abuse.

Featured in a segment this week on KFOR TV, Figaro was saved after a child in a home in Midwest City took the injured cat to a neighbor, who in turn took it to receive veterinary care at a metro animal hospital on the advice of the Central Oklahoma Humane Society and help from Ms. Kitty's Cat Rescue in Nichols Hills. Figaro had been allegedly thrown against the wall several times before the concerned child intervened.

“He’s a real friendly kind of guy,” said Dr. Jackie Puterbaugh, a veterinarian at All Hours Animal Hospital in Moore, where Figaro is being monitored and protected. “He’s a little slow in the head and has brain damage.”

And while the vet has done all she can for Figaro to get him as close to normal as possible, she said “these injuries seem to be permanent.”

All Hours Animal Hospital is donating their care for Figaro while he is on the mend and a “forever home” is secured.” She also told Red Dirt Report that since the KFOR piece by reporter Lance West was aired they have had an outpouring of responses from the public.

“We have started a list of potential adoptees,” Puterbaugh said. He will have special needs and because of his injuries, she said it’s preferable that they don’t have dogs in the home.

Puterbaugh said that Figaro is a survivor but the injuries to his muscles and spine are so severe that he will never be a normal cat.

“When he picked up he gets a little upset. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s painful for him or if he’s just disoriented,” Puterbaugh said.

Figaro, she said, will “bat a toy” or “totter around” the room. Figaro is eating well and can use the litter box if the edges aren’t too high. Because he can’t climb on anything he will go into a little kitty corner box and lay down and stick his head out. He loves lying in the sun, she said.

The circumstances that led to Figaro’s devastating injuries are still a bit murky. Red Dirt Report called the Midwest City Police Department to find out if there was an investigation underway, particularly since the adults who abused Figaro have a child in the home. The dispatcher said the case had been handed over to Midwest City Animal Welfare.

We called Animal Welfare and were told they had just found out about the situation and there was no investigation underway, despite the KFOR report saying that one was being conducted.

The man we talked to said because it was a hearsay and involving a neighbor that there wasn’t much more they could do.

“Nobody contacted us,” a man named Jason told us. “We were never involved.” The incident reportedly happened two weeks ago.

Puterbaugh, meanwhile, said she doubts the authorities will do much to look into this incident of animal abuse. She agreed that considering there was a child in the home who saved the cat from the abusive adults that there may be concerns about the welfare of the child.

“Animal abuse tends to lead to child abuse,” Puterbaugh said.

Red Dirt Report hopes to have more on this case in the coming week.

Puterbaugh said people are welcome to stop by All Hours Animal Care in Moore, at 12^th and I-35 and visit Figaro. As the name says, they are open 24 hours a day.

“They can come in and visit him and scratch his chin,” she said. “He really enjoys visits.”

For more information go to www.emergencyvetokc.com.

Copyright 2012 West Marie Media