If you follow the Twitter account called Florida Man, you know a lot of unusual news comes out of the Sunshine State. However, rarely do any of these down-and-out tales match the unfortunate yet ultimately endearing story of Roger Daltrey the Cat, who was found alone on the streets by animal control officers in Naples, Florida.
Roger, who resembles a Himalayan with his blue eyes and long tan coat, was discovered completely immobile with no use of his back legs at all, no control of his bodily functions, not neutered — and with a bullet lodged in his spine. His story was first reported by The Dodo, which noted that a shelter veterinarian whose name is Karen Brown at Collier Domestic Animal Services decided to take a chance on the feline victim of human cruelty. By steadily administering prednisolone steroid injections into Roger, the kitty eventually did gain back use of his legs. And from there, he was transferred to the Naples Cat Alliance for some extra TLC.
Although the bullet still remains in his spine (doctors say it’s best for the cat’s health to leave it alone) and his tail needed to be amputated, Roger continues to improve by kitty leaps and bounds since his arrival at Naples Cat Alliance in September. This reversal is, at least in part, due to his very special and unique friendship with a dog named Bitsy.
Instead of being euthanized, a fate which is often suffered by many stray pets in Roger’s condition, this cat spends his days cuddling with the shelter’s resident pooch cat-lover. In fact, Bitsy doesn’t even like other dogs, prefers the company of cats and first gained the Internet’s attention because she babysat some abandoned kittens.
So, what’s next on tap for the furry? A forever home, obviously. Those who may be interested are encouraged to contact the Naples Cat Alliance or make a donation to the shelter in its efforts to save other cats like him.
