Territorial clash leaves tabby cat seriously hurt, but survives
Published on: Saturday, April 24, 2021
By: Dr Roslee bin Haji Abbas
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A HOMELESS/STRAY cat had spent much of her life surviving on the streets of Tamparuli town and a battle that she came close to losing before she was rescued by Heart.
Saving one animal will not change the world, but it will forever change the world for that animal.
The nine-month-old cat, later named Rina, had probably just used one of her nine lives. She’s lucky to be alive after she was violently attacked by a homeless dog while looking for scraps, which left her with a fractured spinal and serious facial lacerations.
The reason for conflict between stray cats and dogs is usually territorial, with community cats defending their territory against dogs from elsewhere. Unneutered male dogs may also be more aggressive due to high testosterone levels.
The rise in attacks on cats recently was also likely due to a fall in food sources for dogs since the Coronavirus pandemic.
The incident happened in Tamparuli on April 20. A cat feeder saw a homeless cat being attacked by a dog. The cat Rina was already semi-conscious, her heart was beating fast and she was just lying there, motionless and gasping for air.
We rushed her to the vet clinic. The vet took a series of X-ray pictures, to identify the precise nature of her injuries. The first, survey radiograph seemed normal, but when close-up views were taken of one suspicious area, a small but very significant abnormality was visible.
She had fractured one of the bones of her spine.
A wedge of bone had broken off the base of one of her vertebrae, the cube-like bones that make up the spinal column. She had suffered a serious spinal injury. Despite this fracture, she had been lucky, and the alignment of her spine had not been disturbed.
The spinal cord carries the nerve supply to the rear half of the body, including the hind limbs. It travels down in the centre of the backbone, protected inside a narrow tunnel that is formed by the end-to-end positioning of the many small spinal bones, each containing a hole that lines up with the adjacent bones on either side.
As you can imagine, if one of those bones is broken and moved out of alignment with the other bones, the spinal cord in the tunnel is usually completely torn in half. This results in complete and permanent paralysis.
In Rina’s case, one of the bones that makes up the wall of the tunnel had been broken, but it had not moved out of alignment.
This meant that although her spinal cord had been damaged in the accident, there was a possibility that it might not have been completely severed. It may have been crushed, bruised and twisted, but it may not have been permanently damaged. Rina is in good spirits despite her injuries.
To evaluate the extent of her problem, the vet then carried out a detailed neurological examination. This involves systematically testing a tick list of reflexes and nerve function tests.
The examination showed that Rina had some movement in her right back leg, and she meowed loudly when the vet pinched the toes of both back legs. This meant that, crucially, she still had sensation in her feet: her spinal cord was able to send messages from her back legs to her brain.
This meant that although her spinal cord may have been damaged, it had not been torn in two: there was a chance that she could make a recovery, because cats heal differently. She’s having her blood work monitored closely and is under supervision with supportive care, iv fluids and medications as of this writing. Rina’s surgery is an urgent necessity but she needs to be stabilised.
Heart is seeking help for a sweet beige tabby cat named Rina, after she was seriously injured in a dog attack. The sweet tabby, who we described as “an obsolute mush ball”, suffered a fractured spinal cord which has left it paralysed in her hind legs.
She’s extremely gentle and quiet; she has a kind disposition and just loves to be cuddled. We really hope people will help us get Rina the medical care she needs and to fund her ongoing care. With the support and generosity of people like you, Rina will have a second chance at the life she deserves and a much brighter future.
The medical costs associated with Rina’s care are expected to reach RM1,813 or more. A non-profit organisation, Heart relies primarily on public donations to help our most vulnerable animals. If you can help Rina and other animals like her in need at Heart, you can donate online to:
CIMB BANK BERHAD
Account no.
70 3762569 4
ROSLI @ ROSLEE BIN ABBAS
DONATE - RINA
We receive no government funding and rely on the support and kindness from our community, private donations and charity bazaar to complete our mission. Heart does not euthanise animals to make space to house others. We are a no-kill animal welfare group and work to preserve life whenever possible.
We rely on donations from people like you who are willing to spend their hard-earned money to help animals in dire need. We will be appreciated if you could help to pay for Rina’s medical veterinary bill and her other expenses.
And every ringgit helps!
We thank you all for your loyalty and support during our difficult and trying times. We are honoured to be able to call you friends and family.
Thank you in advance for your generous, big and small (and no donation is too small).
Have A Heart. Donate.
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