Thanks to a few dedicated animal lovers, Miss Piggy will soon be back on her paws.
A month ago, a tabby cat had the unfortunate luck of being under a house in Isanti County, Minnesota when it exploded, potentially due to a gas leak, according to KSTP-TV.
The cat was found at the site of the explosion eight days after the incident when the man who lived in the house and his daughter came to inspect the house.
“They took her to the daughter’s home — where the man was staying — and got her to the vet as soon as they could,” Azure Davis, founder and CEO of Ruff Start Rescue, tells PEOPLE.
Veterinarians examined the cat and found that it had severe burns on all four paws, burns on its ears and nose, and that it had become ill from smoke inhalation. Due to the extent of Miss Piggy’s injuries and the care and money it would take to recover, the elderly man who brought the cat made the difficult decision to surrender the pet to Ruff Start Rescue (RSR).
Miss Piggy the cat in her foster home after surviving a house explosion in Minnesota.
Ruff Start Rescue
Before the explosion, Miss Piggy was part of a cat colony that lived near the house where the explosion happened and was often fed by the man who brought her and his wife.
“The man decided it was best to turn Miss Piggy over to RSR due to the severity of her injuries, the amount of care she would need for a lengthy recovery and the fact that his wife is still in hospital recovering from her own injuries from the blast and they are still without their own at home,” explains Davis.
RSR found out about Miss Piggy from the veterinary clinic that took care of her after the explosion.
“The clinic they brought her to has close ties to RSR as the staff have taken over from Ruff Start, and they regularly donate excess supplies to us, so we were the first people they thought to approach to help Miss Piggy,” adds Davis.
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After Miss Piggy arrived at RSR, the rescue began providing the cat with the loving care she needed to feel well again. The rescue team moved the cat to a foster home, provided her with regular bandage changes and gave her anti-inflammatory and pain medication to help her recover.
“Her first few days were difficult. She was in survival mode and very lethargic. She blossomed into a curious, loving and extremely cuddly kitty,” Davis says of 4-month-old Miss Piggy’s personality.
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According to Davis, the cat already has an arranged adopter once it fully recovers. The new pet parent “saw her on the news and fell in love.”
“She said she couldn’t stop thinking about her and knew she had to be hers. What really cemented it was that one of her cats had an adorable pig toy in her mouth when she was a kitten, and she knew that it should be!” Davis says Miss Piggy found her new home with the help of local news.
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Miss Piggy the cat in her foster home after surviving a house explosion in Minnesota.
Ruff Start Rescue
Davis is confident that Miss Piggy’s recovery will inspire others to persevere when things seem impossible.
“It’s good for people to remember not to lose hope. From the first sight of Miss Piggy, you might have thought that she should be put out of her suffering immediately. However, we know that she was fighting for her life because she was still purring and cuddling even when she was in excruciating pain . Miss Piggy wanted to live, and we were going to do everything in our power to give her that chance,” he says.
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The founder of the Rescue organization also hopes that the cat’s fantastic story will inspire others to help animals in need.
“It can be so easy to get caught up in thinking ‘someone else will help’ or ‘they’ll contact us if we’re needed’ instead of being proactive. When people are going through a crisis, animals are usually the last thing to consider. Don’t be afraid to offer help and to speak up. Remember, animals rely on humans to be their voice and to protect them,” she adds.
To learn more about Ruff Start Rescue and support their lifesaving work, visit the organization’s website.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education