Once in a while, people can learn lessons from the animal world. Such is the case of a 3 month old feral kitten named Adam. I have to warn you though, some of the paragraphs below are a little graphic. Unfortunately it’s a true story that will both enrage you and hopefully make you want to help. This story first appeared in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and later in the San Francisco Chronicle.
On June 19, 2007 two 15 year old girls allegedly poured flammable liquid on Adam while he was trapped in a cage and lit him on fire. The names of the girls haven’t been released. An 11 year old boy and his friend saw smoke and heard the cat shrieking while the girls stood there laughing. The girls, whose names were not released, were arrested on felony cruelty to animals charges.
Adam was one of six feral kittens that were to be transported the next morning to Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County to be spayed and neutered. They would then be released on a farm to roam as they pleased. The four other kittens have not been found yet and are presumed dead.
The animal hospital of Cotati is treating Adam. It’s too early to know if he’ll survive yet. The tips of his ears and his tail had to be amputated. The skin on his back is gone, burned to the bone. There is still a high risk of infection due to second and third degree burns over 75 percent of his body as well as the chance of a viral infection.