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Langley animal group caring for cat with broken bones and glued ears

Another kitten being cared for by LAPS needed hernia surgery
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The Langley Animal Protection Society is caring for Cosmo, a kitten that has a mouth injury, two broken ribs, and ear damage from what appears to have been an attempt to make the cat look like an American curl breed. (LAPS/Special to the Langley Advance Times) The Langley Animal Protection Society is caring for Cosmo, a kitten that has a mouth injury, two broken ribs, and ear damage from what appears to have been an attempt to make the cat look like an American curl breed. (LAPS/Special to the Langley Advance Times)

Cosmo is only eight-weeks old yet already has two broken ribs, a fractured shoulder, his ears cut and glued, and skin pulled away from the jaw bone around his mouth.

The Langley Animal Protection Society said it appears someone was trying to make the cat look like an American curl, a breed that’s been around since 1981. It’s distinctive ears curl back as a result of a genetic mutation. True American curl cats are listed online selling for $450 and up in Canada and more in the U.S.

The blue-eyed boy was found in a wooded area near the dog park in Fort Langley. He has a condition called megaesophagus, which means he must be put into a chair to sit up while eating otherwise the food is regurgitated. He’s being fostered by a staff at a vet clinic who were able to unglue his ears so they can heal.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to find who did this to him because he was abandoned, explained Sarah Jones, LAPS executive director.

The kitten is now in the custody of the local animal welfare organization along with another cat, Pixie which is also needing medical care.

“These cats require significant medical attention due to neglect, abuse and a lack of adequate support,” said Maddison Joyce, LAPS manager of animal welfare.

LAPS expect it will cost at least $3,000 to care for Pixie’s medical condition.

The young stray cat was found in Aldergrove and brought in by a good Samaritan. She has a large, swollen lump on her side. She’s in care of Mountainview Veterinary Hospital which agreed to attempt to mend the large hernia, which has caused her intestines to protrude out of her mid-section.

“There is still a significant chance that she will need to move on to seeing a specialist following her appointment with Mountainview,” Joyce explained. “While we are currently anticipating costs around $3,000, we know that her medical costs are very likely to well exceed this number.”

After surgery, the cat, a domestic shorthair, will be kept in a calm, quiet place for recuperation to improve her chances of healing, but if the hernia repair does not take, a specialist will required to help the eight-month-old cat.

“They (vets) think it might be an old injury that didn’t heal right,” Jones explained.

The two cats’ medical care has caused financial strain beyond regular stray animal costs, which can range from 30 to 40 animals per month, she said. There’s already a high demand for LAPS services and programs, including the pet food pantry (food bank), animal surrenders, and demands on Major’s Legacy Fund, which helps with animal medical costs for owners who are low income or homeless.

“The society often takes on complex medical cases and works to advocate for animals who otherwise would have no other support available to them,” Joyce said.

In 2021, the society received 743 animals into care, and provided support to hundreds of animals living in low income families throughout Langley and beyond.

“The need for medical support for Langley’s animals is on the rise,” said Jenn Schroeder, the director of philanthrophy and communications. “We want to be able to provide support for this ongoing need, but that desire is only made possible through the support of generous donors. We are reaching out to our community in hopes that this financial need will be met and that we will continue to be able to support Pixie and Cosmo through their journeys to their second chances.”

LAPS is contracted to provide animal bylaw enforcement by both the Township and the City but its work with abandoned, injured and stray animals, such as Pixie and Cosmo, is entirely donor funded.

Learn more about the non-profit society at lapsbc.ca.

Pixie’s stitches should heal within two weeks and if she doesn’t require specialist care, will be ready for adoption in the coming weeks.

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READ MORE: Abandoned dogs needed dental help

• READ MORE: Stray pig gussied up for new home

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Pixie, eight months of age, was found with a massive lump on her side, the result of a hernia. (LAPS/Special to the Langley Advance Times)


Heather Colpitts

About the Author: Heather Colpitts

Since starting in the news industry in 1992, my passion for sharing stories has taken me around Western Canada.
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