Even shy strays that run from petting hands can win over hearts when they are in need.
Chance, a fearful black cat that reluctantly took food from Virginia residents for two years, won over enough people that when he was diagnosed with a heart murmur and cleft palate, the donations came in to save him, according to the Newport News Daily Press.
Jodie Kiesel, who is starting up a shelter for strays in Hampton, Va., said that Chance was weak and had difficulty breathing when he was brought to her for help.
A visit to a veterinarian showed that Chance was an unusual kitty with a cleft palate, and it would cost $1,000 for corrective surgery.
I never thought it would cost that much I'd never heard of a cat with a cleft palate before, Keisel said. I thought that it would probably end up on one of our credit cards.
According to PetEducation.com, cleft palates can occur in cats when the bones forming the roof of the mouth do not grow correctly. The defect usually needs to be surgically repaired during kittenhood, and can cause pneumonia or malnourishment. In severe instances, kittens with the defect are euthanized.
Chance, however, had hope. Keisel set up a small fundraiser at a Pet Supplies Plus store during the holiday shopping season, and eventually gathered enough to pay for the surgery he needed, the newspaper said. Now, notes are posted in the store to update donors on Chances progress with a new life.
Posted: Jan. 27, 2006, 3 p.m. EST