Welcome to Hepper’s newest segment, Live From the Litter Box, where each Friday, we will share feline current events, heartwarming stories, breaking mews, or other stories we think you need to know about.
If you love a heartwarming story of resilience, dedication, and care, this one is for you.
A Florida cat named Nine Iron has beat all odds after being found with severe injuries to his front legs and the end of his tail, likely due to prior trauma and old autoimmune issues. Euthanasia was recommended when Nine Iron arrived as they saw little hope for survival. But, thanks to veterinary intervention at the University of Florida’s Small Animal Hospital, this has gone from “being a near-hopeless medical case to a remarkable recovery story,” writes Sarah Carey, Public Relations Director at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine.1
A volunteer with PitStop Pit Bull Rescue Transport (a nonprofit group that transports about 30 to 60 animals each week from shelters to rescues in North Florida and South Georgia, and helps with other pet-related community services) found Nine Iron and immediately sought help for the precious cat. Knowing that euthanasia would be recommended, the volunteer and PitStop’s leaders still didn’t lose hope and wanted to explore all options.
“…We knew this volunteer was suffering from compassion fatigue and committed to taking (the cat) and doing what was best for him,” said Sara Mobley, the group’s transport coordinator, and the current foster of Nine Iron.
The Procedure & Recovery
Nine Iron had to have one of his wounded legs amputated early on in the process, but when complications arose, he was referred to the veterinary surgeons at the University of Florida and they thankfully agreed to take the case.
“Nine Iron’s care was really a team effort, and we were pretty worried he was going to end up as a double amputee for a while due to his recurrent infection and the time it took for him to heal,” Rachel Williams, D.V.M. (clinical assistant professor of small animal surgery) said. “Just in time for Christmas, however, he was healed and able to return to a normal life.”
Dr. Williams, along with John Hanlon, D.V.M., a small animal surgery resident, and Kathleen Ham, D.V.M., an associate professor of small animal surgery, are carrying out an intensive seven-month treatment plan for Nine Iron, incorporating advanced wound care techniques such as complex wound management, skin grafts, vacuum-assisted closure, and a custom 3D-printed wheelchair to aid his mobility.
With hospital visits two to three times a week during his treatment, Nine Iron quickly became a celebrity patient among the staff. Intending to turn his medical care into an uplifting experience for all, they decorated his bandages with cheerful designs—butterflies, flowers, and even Halloween-inspired bats and ghosts.
“Nine Iron’s care here really highlights not only the amazing work ethic at UF but also the ingenuity that we seek to promote, along with the innovation we try to maintain all day, every day, to provide better patient outcomes,” Williams added.
More About Nine Iron
The little black cat is estimated to be between 4 – 5 years old, so he has a lot of life ahead of him. And if you’re wondering about his unique name, yes, it does have a story behind it.
After his first treatment, he had both his front legs wrapped in thick, heavy padded dressings, and as he walked, his legs swung out and around to the side. Veterinarians thought this motion resembled a golfer’s swing of a 9-iron club, and so, the nickname stuck, “capturing both his resilience and unique gait,” shares Carey.
Nine Iron is currently in Jacksonville with his foster mom Sara, who specializes in caring for animals with high medical needs, and her family of four dogs and two other cats. They are finally getting to know him outside of his medical care and seeing the playful and loving sides of him shine through.
“Now that he’s healed,” Sara shared, “he plays like a kitten, flying all over the place.”
And while they didn’t know it would be as long of a journey as it ended up being for Nine Iron, Sara said that even knowing what they know now, they wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Do you have any heartwarming kitty stories to share with us? Send us your stories here for the chance to be featured in a Live From the Litter Box segment.
