By Michelle Steinhebel, Lebanon Express writer | Posted: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 12:00 am
Not the first time this pet came under gunfire
Crooked Tail used to be a snake hunter. The black cat would canvas the neighborhood near West Cedar Drive in search of small snakes, taking them as her trophies.
But that was a month ago. Now, Crooked Tail sits looking out a sliding glass door, not permitted to go outside. Last month, several BBs were pumped into the cat's front right leg at close range, resulting in an amputation of the limb.
The 3-year-old cat is owned by Varida Wolff. On July 6, Wolff summoned her cats for breakfast. All 12 showed up except Crooked Tail. "We just knew something was wrong when she didn't come for breakfast in the morning," she said.
Wolff sent her grandson and daughter to look for the animal. The pair discovered blood droplets and followed them, finding Crooked Tail in a pool of blood in the backyard, her front leg barely hanging on. Wolff was devastated.
She took the cat to Willamette Veterinary Clinic in Corvallis. X-rays revealed just how bad the damage was. The veterinarian told her it looked as though the cat was shot at close range (less than 5 feet) and that the BB gun was shot at least 20 times.
"I was a wreck," Wolff said. Crooked Tail's front leg was amputated. The cat came home the next day. Wolff was able to set up a payment plan for the vet bill - which totals $1,400.
For the first week, Crooked Tail was heavily medicated and wouldn't eat. Her tongue developed an ulcer from the stress and medication, so Wolff fed the cat baby food and water through a plastic syringe.
"She's doing good now. We let her out once in awhile, but you can tell she's nervous," Wolff said. As Wolff opened the door, Crooked Tail hobbled out, heading straight to a small bush to take refuge in the shade. "She wants to go out really bad, but you let her, you can tell she's thinking, 'Do I really want to be out here?'"
This incident wasn't the first time Crooked Tail has come under fire.
The Wolffs took the cat in after neighbors found her on a roof. The neighbors said juveniles were shooting a pellet gun at the cat.
About six months later, Wolff took Crooked Tail into the veterinarian to look at a small lump on her head, and was told that it was a lodged-in pellet. Because the pellet had been there so long and it wasn't interfering with her everyday life, they left the pellet in. The distinct round ball can be felt just above Crooked Tail's right ear, the same side of her body as the missing leg.
Although she's doing well, Crooked Tail still has some adjusting to do. "She jumps, kind of like a rabbit. She won't ever walk normal again," Wolff said.
The hardest task for the cat to do was learn how to use the litter box on three legs. "She was trying to dig and balance and she just fell down. It was so hard to watch," Wolff said. The balancing act has made Crooked Tail's back legs very strong.
Snake hunting is a career Crooked Tail can no longer pursue. Now, the cat stays indoors.
"She was once a dare devil," Wolff said, watching as Crooked Tail hid under a bush in her front yard. "Now, she's too nervous. She has to stay inside."