An Ontario Cat Was Abandoned In A Watery Ditch & 'Would Have Died' If Not Found
Kingo was found shivering and hypothermic.
Kingo the cat at GHS. Right: Someone holding Kingo the cat.
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Kingo, an orange tabby cat, was found "soaked and freezing" while trapped inside a cat carrier in a watery ditch last week.
A passerby spotted the carrier by Whitelaw and Fife in Guelph on April 14 and pulled it out of the ditch only to find a hypothermic cat with three broken teeth and facial abrasions, most likely from trying to escape, according to a press release.
Trigger Warning: animal abandonment
We're calling this cat Kingo. He was found abandoned in his carrier late Thursday, in a ditch full of water near Whitelaw & Fife in Guelph. Luckily someone found saw him, or he very likely would have died that night. He was wet and freezing. pic.twitter.com/bKm90Dculz
— Guelph Humane (@GuelphHumane) April 19, 2022
The cat's saviour reported the incident to the Guelph Humane Society, and Kingo received "immediate veterinary care."
Lisa Veit, Interim Executive Director at GHS, says they have no doubt Kingo "would have died that evening if someone hadn’t walked by and saw him.”
"The normal body temperature for a cat is around 38 or 39 degrees Celsius. This poor cat was hovering around 34 degrees when he came into our care," said Veit.
GHS is referring to the abandoned cat, who is estimated to be two to five years old as Kingo, and is looking for who "could be behind this horrendous act."
Whether Kingo was abandoned by his owner or someone else remains unclear, but GHS is asking anyone with information regarding Kingo to come forward so an investigation can be launched by the Provincial Animal Welfare Services.
Samantha Westphal, Animal Care Manager at GHS, says Kingo was "very distressed" when he arrived in their care. GHS staff report he became "obsessed with trying to clean himself" after being freed from the carrier.
Thankfully Kingo is doing better now, and GHS staff say he is a sweet and affectionate "perfect boy," and Viet says that when he is ready, they will work towards finding him a home and his "Happy Tail."
Kingo is doing very well now! But Provincial Animal Welfare Services can't conduct an investigation without any information. Do you have any? If you know this cat, or saw anything, please call us at 519-824-3091 or email info@guelphhumane.ca. pic.twitter.com/l2tJTegtFF
— Guelph Humane (@GuelphHumane) April 19, 2022
Viet says three other cases of animal abandonment have occurred this past weekend alone and urges anyone who can no longer take of their animal to call them and arrange a surrender or for "other assistance."
"If you have any information on Kingo, you can call GHS at 519-824-3091, or email info@guelphhumane.ca."