CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A cat named Kleo found a permanent home during Animal Cruelty Prevention Month after 1,098 days at Edgar and Ivy's Cat Sanctuary, the longest any cat has been up for adoption there.
Kleo arrived at the sanctuary as a victim of animal cruelty with broken front and back legs, requiring intensive surgery.
"We'd had a lot of people show interest in her, but then they'd come in and see how, you know, how she looked without the leg," Anissa Beal, executive director of Edgar and Ivy's Cat Sanctuary.
Beal explained that potential adopters would change their minds after seeing Kleo's physical condition - a reminder of the cruelty she endured.
Kleo underwent surgery as a kitten and received a rod in a back leg, while a front leg was amputated.
"It was a huge risk at her age and only 4 weeks for them to do this surgery, so we had to tag her or she was gonna be euthanized," Beal said.
Isabella Pruitt, lead vet tech at the sanctuary, was part of the team that cared for Kleo during her recovery.
"It was very interesting to see such a little cat go through such a big surgery," Pruitt said.
After three years at the shelter, Christiana Salinas adopted Kleo on April 15th of this year.
"I love her a lot and I really care about her,” Salinas said. “And honestly, her story and everything that she endured as a kitten, that was also another reason why I decided to adopt her."
The sanctuary sees approximately 1,200 cats annually, with half classified as cruelty cases.
"All animals deserve to have a second chance, have a home, and be placed in a loving and caring home," Salinas said.
The shelter said animal cruelty has no bias, and they see cats of all ages come in with stories like Kleo.
"You can't just, you know, leave it behind or when things become rough, just, dump a cat somewhere, and when you see something, speak up," Beal said.
For those wanting to report animal cruelty within Corpus Christi city limits, you can call 311.
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