A cat dumped in a backpack and left for dead on a sweltering summer day is slowly returning to health, according to his rescuers.
The cat, dubbed Devante, was found by chance behind the West Footscray Vet Clinic last Tuesday as temperatures soared to 38 degrees. After emergency treatment for heat stroke, Devante was delivered to Cheltenham Cat Rescue and is now recovering with the help of an animal foster carer.
Cheltenham Cat Rescue director Natasha Reus said the plucky cat had defied the odds and begun making a remarkable recovery.
“He’s surprised us with how well he has responded and reacted to pats and cuddles.”
Ms Reus said the circumstances of the cat’s dumping in a closed backpack were unclear, but she urged people to reach out to a rescue service rather than abandon animals.
“It was a very strange thing to do on one of Melbourne’s hottest days.”
Ms Reus also wants people to realise a companion animal is a commitment for life. She urged people to adopt rather than use a pet store and ensure the animals were desexed and microchipped.
A crowdfunding campaign has the goal of raising $2000 to cover Devante’s medical bills. More details: www.chuffed.org/project/devantes-will-to-live
