Kelowna woman rescues seriously injured cat from ditch on Hwy 97C

A cat that is believed to have been left for dead at the side of a BC Interior highway was rescued by a Kelowna woman earlier this week.

According to the Okanagan Humane Society, the woman spotted the cat in a ditch alongside the Okanagan Connector (Hwy 97C) while at a rest stop between Merritt and Kelowna on Monday.

The woman spotted the fluffy grey cat peeking out of the ditch and approached it to get a closer look.

That’s when she noticed the cat was having issues walking on his back leg and needed assistance.

“This poor cat was scared and had a tremendous amount of difficulty moving,” explained Romany Runnalls, president of the board of directors at the Okanagan Humane Society (OHS).

Although the animal was frightened, he allowed the woman to scoop him up and put him in her vehicle before she drove home to Kelowna.

When she got home, she created a safe space for the cat in a bathroom and gave her food, water and warmth before reaching out to an OHS partner veterinarian.

“We are so grateful for strong veterinary partnerships to work together to save animals in the Okanagan Valley and this is one of those amazing examples,” noted Runnalls.

Named Malachite by his rescuer, an inspection discovered that the cat is infested with fleas, underweight and, worst of all, has a fractured pelvis.

“He had not been neutered and had no form of identification by way of microchip or tattoo,” a release from the OHS said.

“Based on his condition, it is suspected that Malachite was possibly hit by or thrown from a car and abandoned on the side of the highway.”

According to the OHS, the only option for Malachite’s broken pelvis without “massive surgical intervention” is pain management and rest in a low-activity crate.

The hope is that at least two weeks of that will allow the cat to start to heal from his painful ordeal and live a normal life in his future.

Along with that pain management, Malachite will be getting parasite treatment and essential medical care like a neuter, vaccines, microchip and deworming.

Thanks to the actions of his rescuers and the generosity of community members who support the OHS, Malachite has been given a second chance on life.

Those who want to support the OHS as the non-profit organization deals with a continuous influx of animals in need of assistance can do so online.