Cat proves old wounds really can heal

Sam’s typical day goes a little something like this: First, breakfast. Then, playtime with his favorite wand toy. After a few rounds, it’s time to retreat to the couch or wherever his adopter, Betty Openshaw, is to relax and nap. That is, until it’s time to play again.

There’s no doubt the affectionate gray tabby (who has the most amazing big cheeks) has a comfy life in a home where he is loved. Seeing him so happy and content, it might be hard to imagine that once — not long ago in fact — Sam’s health hung in the balance. He had a big hurdle to get through before he’d be healthy and comfortable in his own skin.

A cat on the mend

Sam came to Best Friends in Salt Lake City with a chronic wound on his back that needed immediate care. The Best Friends veterinary team performed surgery to clean and close his wound. Afterward, they kept a close eye on him, cleaning his stitches and administering antibiotics, while he rested and healed.

Rhoney Richens, Best Friends manager of lifesaving and care, remembers Sam as a model patient who recovered quickly. “Despite his injury he was very affectionate and allowed us to pet, love, snuggle him, and clean his wound daily without any complaint,” she says.

Within a couple of weeks, the good-natured gray tabby was feeling much better, as evidenced by the sound of gentle purring when someone approached him.

[Tiny kitten overcomes a big problem]

It wasn’t too long after his surgery that he captured Betty’s attention when she came to Best Friends looking for a cat to adopt. “He needed a home. He was ready,” she says.

That day, Betty adopted Sam. And since she has always lived with cats, she knew to be patient while he acclimated to his new home, although it didn’t take Sam long to settle in. Now, he and Betty have a routine. “You can tell he feels good,” says Betty. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat who is just so happy.”

In fact, the only signs that Sam once had an injury are the patches on his back where his fur is growing again. Today, he’s thriving — proof that with love (and a little modern medicine) old wounds really can heal.