Monday, December 24, 2012

12/20/12: Cat rescued after getting stuck on cactus

ARIZONA -- They call him “Prickly Pete”, and he has certainly earned his nickname.
A one year old orange and white domestic cat may have used up a few of his nine lives today, after he found himself stuck on a cactus.




On Wednesday, Arizona Humane Society’s Emergency Animal Medical Technicians received a call of a cat stuck in a cactus in north Phoenix, near 19th Ave. and Cactus.

When the techs arrived on scene, the crafty cat had somehow managed to free himself from his prickly predicament.

But crews noticed a trail of cactus pods that led away from the scene, so they knew it was likely the cat had been injured.

Crews followed the trail, and a short time later, they found the animal. But the feline's misadventure wasn't over just yet. He had now become stuck in a fence!

The vet techs rushed the unfortunate feline, now dubbed “Prickly Pete”, to the Humane Society’s Second Chance Animal Hospital. Vets spent two long hours, painstakingly removing cactus spines, one by one, from Pete’s muzzle, eyelids and mouth.


Now recovering in Second Chance, Pete will remain on pain medication and antibiotics to prevent infection.

While Pete's being treated, Humane Society officials will continue trying to track down his owner. If an owner doesn't urn up within 72 hours, and if and Pete is cleared medically, he will go up for adoption at the Arizona Humane Society.

(AZFamily - Dec 20, 2012)