On a summer day in Arkansas, a stray orange tabby, later named Tommy, suffered from a traumatic accident that changed his life forever.
He was tragically hit by a car, leaving him with multiple serious injuries.
From the looks of it, bystanders thought the one-year-old cat might not even survive the accident at all.
Fortunately, a good samaritan managed to rush him to an emergency vet.
A Sad Discovery
Upon Tommy’s arrival at the healthcare facility, the doctors immediately got to work on treating the injured tabby.
That was when they discovered that the cat had a dislocated hip, a broken femur, and another type of issue on the other side of his hips.
These injuries affected one of his front legs and both of his back legs.
However, the surgery Tommy needed would cost thousands of dollars.
His rescuer was shocked by how costly the treatment would be, but the vet left her with with no other option.
Tommy would need surgery or he’d be euthanized.
Refusing to give up, the woman decided to take him to another vet for a second opinion.
Undergoing Surgery
The new vet informed her that one of his back legs couldn’t be saved. It would need to be amputated.
Luckily, the vet reached out to Sarah Richardson with Community Cats of Central Arkansas to see if she could help.
Upon hearing the news, Sarah Richardson, immediately stepped in to help.
Unfortunately, the surgery didn’t go as smoothly as they hoped…
When Sarah picked Tommy up the next day, he was not in great shape.
“He was very very sick,” Sarah told Tail Talez.
But Sarah was determined to get Tommy back on his feet.
She was willing to do everything in her power to help him pull through.
Road to Recovery
Sarah brought Tommy home to rest and recover.
She tended to all his needs, making sure he didn’t need to lift a single paw!
“So he came to my house as the most crate-rested case I’ve ever had. Like literally, he didn’t need to move,” she shared.
“So we got him an orthopedic bed, orthopedic bowls, where he could just lean over from his bed and eat and drink,” Sarah added.
Sarah would also change his pee pads throughout the day and give him his antibiotics and pain meds.
She even placed some toys in his crate so he could play freely without leaving his bed.
Soon enough, Tommy was perking up!
Now that he was healthier and stronger, his true personality started to shine through.
Back in Action
Tommy could finally get up and use the litter box on his own!
This was a huge triumph– even if it involved some breaks in-between. The first sign of Tommy’s improvement was when he started using his litter box on his own.
Sarah was thrilled to see his progress!
“He was really really determined to walk again… he is a fighter,” Sarah shared.
Soon enough, Tommy moved out of his crate and into Sarah’s daughter’s room.
Looking Forward to Forever
Tommy also managed to make a new foster friend, a cat named Mary!
This was very special since the Tommy wasn’t a huge fan of other cats at first.
“Mary and Tommy are inseparable. Mary helped Tommy with everything, and they’re best friends,” she shared.
With Mary’s help, the three-legged tabby completely came out of his shell and transformed into a playful and energetic cat.
“He is the most spirited, lively, animated cat,” Sarah commented.
Tommy and Mary are now up for adoption as a bonded pair, hoping to find their forever family in the near future.
Though Tommy lost one of his legs, he’s gained confidence, strength, and a wonderful new life.
We’re so thankful Sarah gave this sweet boy a chance to thrive!
Sarah is entirely self-funded and often fosters adult/senior cats in critical condition that others would turn away or euthanize.
Click here if you’d like to donate to Sarah’s medical funds for critical care cats or send food/supplies to her through her Amazon wishlist.
Be sure to follow Sarah on Instagram and Facebook to see more of her adorable foster cats!
Kim Groom
Tuesday 9th of November 2021
I read about Tommy. I hope Tommy and Mary gets into a good home to be taken care of and never worried about being abused. It is so sad that people out there in this world would do this to a kitten or an adult cat or anything else. There are good people in this world and bad people. I hope all the kitties and cats are doing good in their new families. God bless!!