Stray Cat Enjoys Warm Home After Sleeping Outside in Freezing Cold with Painful Injury

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It was a cold, snowy day in Arkansas when a woman received a phone call from a concerned resident about a cat that desperately needed help.

At the beginning of the snow storm, the neighbors reported he was fine. 

However, something was terribly wrong with him after the snow storm.

Neighbors worried his time was running out. 

Keep reading to discover how fate brought together this sweet cat and a kind woman who risked everything to help him survive.

A Shocking Discovery

Sarah Richardson of Community Cats of Central Arkansas received a phone call from a distressed resident about a cat who appeared to be in great danger. 

This call was shortly after a snowstorm that hit record snowfall in the state. 

“The man who called said that they’d seen the cat before the storm and he seemed to be fine, but after the snow storm, his entire tail was dangling,” Sarah told National Kitty. 

Sarah instructed the caller to guide the cat, later named Murphy, into the carrier. 

“We hadn’t seen a single photo of him up until this point. All we knew was that something was wrong with his tail,” said Sarah. 

Once Sarah took Murphy home and took a better look, she was shocked…

The Truth Revealed 

Sarah realized Murphy’s tail had been completely degloved, meaning the skin had been separated from the underlying tissue. 

This poor boy was in an extreme amount of pain from his injury and the deep infection it had caused. 

“What probably happened is that he climbed in a car engine to stay warm during the snowstorm and then someone turned their car on,” Sarah explained. 

Sarah immediately started Murphy on pain meds and fluids. 

She rushed him to the vet the next day where she’d be confronted with a whole new set of surprises. 

A Tough Decision

The vet confirmed that Murphy would need emergency surgery to have his tail amputated. 

Once the vet successfully amputated his tail, he realized that the infection had spread much deeper into his body than just his tail. 

This would require the vet to create a new orifice for Murphy to use the restroom with…

Fortunately, this was something Sarah’s vet successfully achieved. 

However, there was a big problem: Murphy was anemic. 

Once Murphy woke up after his surgery, the vet told Sarah he didn’t know if Murphy would survive the recovery because of how much blood he’d lost. 

But Sarah had already considered this before Murphy’s surgery. 

“We knew he was anemic, but the infection would have killed him if he didn’t have the surgery,” Sarah told National Kitty. 

Determined to do whatever it took to help Murphy pull through, she risked the surgery. 

Now all she could do was wait for the final results with fingers crossed. 

A Glimmer of Hope

Murphy was taken back to his Sarah’s home where he spent the next few weeks resting on heating pad while receiving diligent care from Sarah. 

Sarah provided him round-the-clock care and continued to give him fluids, antibiotics, pain meds, and wet food to help him get hydrated and healthy. 

Slowly but surely, he started to perk up and grow stronger with each passing day. 

Murphy was in much better shape when it was time for his follow-up vet visit. He’d gained weight and was no longer anemic! 

The surgery was a success! The worst was finally over. Love and patience would take care of the rest. 

After several months, Sarah saw Murphy transform into a completely different cat. 

“He will never have a tail again, but he will able to live a normal life,” Sarah explained. 

Because he was no longer in crippling pain, his sweet and gentle personality could finally shine through. 

Sarah discovered Murphy was a total lap cat! 

Murphy was Sarah’s shadow. Wherever Sarah went, Murphy followed. 

He slept with Sarah and her husband every single night, curling up on the foot of the bed or next to their heads and gently purring. 

The day arrived where Murphy was finally ready for adoption. 

Looking Forward to Forever

Sarah has high hopes for whoever adopts Murphy. 

“To whoever ends up adopting him, I consider them lucky. If you picture your dream cat, that’s Murphy,” Sarah mused. 

Murphy was friendly, affectionate, cuddly, and playful. What more could you ask for? 

“He’s a true lifelong companion,” said Sarah. 

Sarah will make sure Murphy goes to a very special family who can take care of his special needs. 

Until then, he’ll continue being showered with love and attention by Sarah and her family. 

About Our Hero

Sarah Richardson is one of the few rescuers in Arkansas who volunteers to rescue senior cats and adult cats with severe medical conditions. 

Thanks to Sarah, cats like Murphy are given a second chance at life. 

If you’d like to help by donating food or supplies directly to Sarah directly through her Amazon Wishlist, click here.

If you’d like to donate toward an injured senior cat’s medical costs, click here to learn how you can help. 

Be sure to follow Sarah on Instagram and see more of her adorable rescue cats!

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