Most souls normally enjoy getting a new hair cut and color. Humans that is. For cats and kittens found with colored fur, there are a couple reasons this can happen. And neither of them are good for the cat. So when a young cat was found abandoned in Arizona with red and blue paint on her tuxedo fur, rescuers knew she’d been through a lot. There is no mention of how she came to be sitting at a rural animal shelter’s doorstep. But that was her first step towards freedom.
Photo: @AAWLeague
And so the (black), red, white and blue kitten was named Freedom.
Photo: @AAWLeague
The Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL) shared the newest rescue on their Facebook page last week. She had come to them through their Rural Rescue Outreach program.
The Arizona Animal Welfare League operates on a bare-bones budget, and yet, it takes in every stray pet that comes their way. Each year, the League rescues 4,000 animals, with 1,000 coming from the Rural Rescue Program.
Photo: @AAWLeague
Freedom is just one of thousands of animals abandoned everyday across the world. However, the red and blue paint splotched on her small body is a clear indicator that she had been tortured in one form or another. That could have been from young children coloring on her with irresponsible parents allowing non-monitored pet play. Maybe the “adults” realized that she wasn’t a good fit for their family? But to just abandon her at the door of a closed shelter is a horrible example to set for your kids. Perhaps that’s why they do things like color on animals?
Photo: @AAWLeague
But there could be an even more heart dropping second reason. Cats and kittens are often popular “bait animals” used in dog fighting rings.
A horrific and brutal occurrence, dog fighters use paint or permanent markers to “color code” cats and other small animals so they can be used as bait. The dishonorable spectators then place bets on their color of choice. The “winner” is the animal that survives the longest against the canines being forced to fight for their lives.
Photo: Smurf, kitten rescued by the Nine Lives Foundation in Dec 2015
So Freedom escaped from abuses of one “color” or another, but will she find a loving family to call her own?
She should be up for adoption through AAWL shortly so hopefully we can answer that soon. They found no injuries–physical anyways–from her ordeal, but they want to be 100% sure she is fully healthy.
Photo: @AAWLeague
It looks like she’s not opposed to a good chin scratch and snuggles!
Photo: @AAWLeague
After whatever unknown trauma she had to endure, she’ll need the perfect human(s) to shower her with love. Please be sure to follow AAWL if you are interested in adopting Freedom! If she’s not the one for you, perhaps some of her fellow homeless cats could use a helping paw?
Freedom is one of over 6,000 animals rescued from our Rural Rescue Program that we have rescued from across the state in the last 3 years, and your donations continue our journeys to partners needing help. Register today at WalkToSaveanimals.org and help save animals like Freedom every day.
REMEMBER: SPAY/NEUTER, FOSTER, VOLUNTEER, TNR & AS ALWAYS, ADOPT, DON’T SHOP!
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