One February afternoon, an Newfoundland rescue group got a desperate call for help: someone had found a cat literally frozen to the ground, unable to move.
Gwen Samms of the Society for the Care and Protection of Animals (SCAPA) in Stephenville responded. Moments later she arrived to find a long-haired Maine Coon look-alike stuck to the ground, his legs, tail, and rear end stuck in place.
After releasing him from the ground’s icy grip with buckets full of warm water, she rushed him to a veterinarian in Stephenville, where staff administered warm IV fluids to bring up the cat’s dangerously low body temperature.
Once the cat’s hypothermia had been resolved, X-rays revealed that his pelvis had been fractured in three places, resulting in nerve damage that left him unable to move or control his bodily functions.
The cat, who had been given the name Trooper, won hearts all around the world. Donations for his medical expenses poured in, and he was taken to Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, for the complex surgery required to repair his shattered pelvis.
Although Trooper did need to have one of his rear legs and part of his tail amputated due to frostbite, the little guy has been proving to all his fans that he is the ultimate survivor.
“He lived up to his name. He’s a fighter and he’s definitely got the will to live,” said Samms. “He’s very people-friendly; he loves attention. He’s a good boy and he’s definitely a little sweetheart.”
Right now, Trooper is living in a foster home, where he’s getting ongoing care as he travels the road to recovery. He gets daily physical therapy to help strengthen his remaining hind leg, and although his bladder function is coming back, it hasn’t fully returned.
SCAPA formed a Facebook group, Troopers for Trooper, to keep his legions of fans up to date on his progress. Almost every day, they post new pictures of the sweet little guy (and his best buddy).
The best way to see how far Trooper has come is to visit the group and see for yourself — as 3,259 people have already done.
It’s going to be a long time before the cat recovers fully and becomes available for adoption. SCAPA still needs donations for the cat’s ongoing medical care. If you’re interested in helping, you can find out how by reading this note on the Troopers for Trooper Facebook page or visiting SCAPA’s website.
Although Trooper’s tale had a tragic beginning, it looks like this fortunate cat is going to live his remaining lives happily ever after. And that’s what he deserves.
