I have rescued a number of animals in my life. I don’t recall ever rescuing the same animal twice, though.
Unfortunately, I have that sad task before me today.
Fourteen years ago, I found Percy on the side of a country road while walking with a friend. It was not unusual to find abandoned pets on that road, as it was a popular dumping ground for unwanted animals.
Percy was unusual, though.
My friend and I watched as this small kitten hobbled along, putting every ounce of energy he had into each lurching step. We thought he was injured and instantly jumped to his aid.
Turns out that he was not injured. One of his legs was malformed, causing him to have a very unusual gait. Amazingly, it did not slow his enthusiasm, although his speed at walking was not great. He mewed at us with great gusto.
I knew that this little cat would never survive in the wild on his own, no matter how courageous and resilient he appeared to be. I scooped him up and called another friend who luckily was able to give him a loving home.
Fast forward fourteen years. Percy has lived in the same home all this time with a family of dogs, cats and people growing around him. Despite his challenged leg, he has had no health issues in all this time, and he has led a remarkably happy life.
Percy’s family has recently faced some struggles, however. I won’t go into the details, other than to say that they have been forced to make some changes, and they are no longer able to keep Percy. Please don’t judge them. They are good people. Sadly, we all face hard times. They have asked me to help them find him a home that will love him as much as they have.
Percy is in Canton, OH, and it would be preferable to find him a home close by. We realize, though, that he cannot go just anywhere, and are open to transporting him to a good home that is in the surrounding area. He is neutered, up to date on his shots and has no known health concerns. He does seem to have a little tenderness in his hindquarters, possible from his body compensating for his shortened front leg.
Percy gets along fine with other pets, as long as they would be gentle with him. If you know of someone who could offer Percy a loving home, please contact me ASAP so that we can explore the possibilities. Please share this with as many people as you can to get the word out.
I cannot leave him to the ways of the world now anymore than I could fourteen years ago.
Percy has a twelve year old adopted brother named Andy who also needs a home. He has a potential home identified, however, if someone could take both of them and keep them together, that would be the best scenario.
Some photos of Percy and Andy and a video follow.
Thank you for your help in giving this sweet boy a good life for the rest of his days.
UPDATE: Percy now has a Petfinder page. His brother Andy has a page too.
