“Gills” Will Be Available for Adoption if No Owner is Found
BOSTON, May 24, 2024 – Gills is a roughly two-year-old stray cat many would say is lucky to be alive. He was found by Boston Animal Control injured in Dorchester and brought to Angell Animal Medical Center on the evening of May 10.
Officers believe he may have been hit by a car and knew that Angell would be able to provide the extensive medical care he needed.
“Honestly, Gills’ was in really tough shape when he came to us,” said Deborah Bobek, director of operations at the MSPCA’s Boston Adoption Center. “He had multiple fractures on his face, and he was in immense pain.”
“He needed a lot of medical attention immediately to help make him feel comfortable, and we knew it would take a lot of work to get him to a spot where he would eventually be able to live the happy life he deserves,” she added.
Gills’ Long Road to Recovery
Gills first underwent surgery on May 13.
“His face was so badly injured that we knew it would take several procedures to get him on the right path,” explained Dr. Rebecca Fellman, who is part of the team treating Gills at the MSPCA’s Boston Adoption Center clinic.
“First, we removed one of his eyes and also used a wire to repair a fracture at the front of his jaw, but because of swelling, we needed to let some time pass before we could continue repairing his face.”
Gills was kept comfortable with pain medication until veterinarians were able to continue his treatment.
“After that first procedure, Gills woke up purring and he was very sweet despite everything that he was going through,” Dr. Fellman said. “So we were confident that he had the fighting spirit needed to see this through.”
Veterinarians removed Gills’ second eye on May 16, and he is now recovering.
“We believe that it’ll take about eight weeks for Gills’ facial fractures to heal and we’re able to remove the wire,” Dr. Fellman added. “He’ll remain in foster care during that time so we’re able to ensure everything is healing correctly.”
Do You Know this Cat?
“It’s possible that Gills is someone’s beloved pet who was badly injured when he got loose,” said Bobek. “Often, it can be really overwhelming when people lose a pet. They might not know how and where to report it, and who to ask for help.”
“No owner has come forward yet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. So we’re asking the public for help. Please reach out to us if you or anyone you know may have information on Gills’ owners.”
If no owner can be identified, the MSPCA will search for adopters willing to open their home to this very special cat. The organization will post updates on Gills’ status on its social media pages.
