SRAUSSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA – We all know all too well that cats are very curious, but who could have anticipated one would be so curious that she would get her head caught in a jar?
However, residents along Henne Road in Jefferson Township say that a stray cat miraculously roamed around the neighborhood for about five days with a plastic jar over its head.
“Obviously she had a desire to live,” stated Kelly Boyer, who lives on Henne Road. “I don’t how she could breathe.”
The plastic jar did not have a product label of any kind, but it was similar in size to jars that are used for mayonnaise, spaghetti sauce or apple sauce. The cat more than likely stuck its head in the jar in an attempt to find some noms. The jar’s opening left little space for the cat to get ay air and completely obstructed its ability to eat or drink.
The troubled tabby cat was initially spotted last Wednesday when a neighbor called Boyer to explain he had seen a cat on Henne Road with a jar stuck on its head. The neighbor caught the cat, but it ended up getting away when he tried to remove the jar, Boyer said.
Boyer and neighbors then kept their eyes peeled over the course of the following days for any sign of the cat.
While attending a community yard sale in Strausstown on Saturday, Boyer met Laurie Rhodes, who is founder of The Wellness Center for Pets & Their People, a local nonprofit which assists people in need to feed and care for their animals. The group also helps rescue animals who are in trouble.
Rhodes and volunteers Diane Ellis and Peg Ferko helped Boyer search for the cat over at Steve Henne’s farm, where the cat was seen. Rhodes explained they placed a few traps with food, but had no luck, likely because the jar impeded the cat’s ability to see or smell. The cat was spotted many times but dodged capture.
When Boyer didn’t see the cat at all on Sunday, she assumed it had simply died.
“Just walking around looking for it, I was so parched,” she stated. “I could not even imagine that this little thing didn’t have anything to eat or drink for days.”
Dr. Jim Priebe, a veterinarian who practices at Leesport Animal Hospital, stated that although he did not see or treat the cat, it would likely suffer dehydration if it did not have water in a few days, especially given the high temperatures that hit over the weekend. Eventually, he went on to say, the cat would have died of starvation.
It seems that nothing could stop this cat from enjoying all nine of its lives, however.
At about 9:30 a.m. on Monday, just as Rhodes and Ellis were just about to give up their search, they spotted the cat just lying by a pond. With some fast-thinking, a blanket and a cage, they managed to capture the cat and got it to Willow Creek Veterinary Center in Ontelaunee Township by 11 a.m.
Dr. Klementyna Zaruski, who is a small-animal veterinarian at Willow Creek, was then able to sedate the cat and then cut the plastic jar to remove it. She gave fluids to the seriously dehydrated feline and also treated it for internal parasites, ear mites and a sore neck which was likely caused by friction from the jar.
Rhodes named the rescued cat Miracle, and took her home Monday afternoon for a good catnap and some recovery. Rhodes explained that she will be watching Miracle closely in the coming days and plans to get her spayed when she fully recovers.
Rhodes and Ellis paid the $300 medical bill.
The Wellness Center for Pets & Their People, Inc. at wcpphf@gmail.com They are hoping that people who may be interested in adopting Miracle will reach out.
Rhodes also hopes people realize the importance of continuing to report troubled animals.
“No animal is going to live with a jar on its head,” she stated. “People need to be cautious about littering and the harm it can cause to wild animals.”
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