“The Most Resilient Little Thing”: Scoot’s Happy Tail
November 20th, 2023
By Savannah Verdon, Development and Engagement Coordinator II
On an elementary school blacktop under the hot August sun lay Scoot, then an unnamed kitten, overheated and bleeding from his arm. He had either been hit by a car or attacked by an animal, the staff didn’t know. Seeing that he was unable to walk, they decided to bring him inside and give him water. One of them thought to call Kori, already a mother to two children and two dogs. They knew that whatever this kitten needed, she would find a way to provide it.
Kori brought the injured Scoot to the emergency veterinarian, where they cleaned his wound and sent her home with antibiotics and pain medication until he could see a regular veterinarian. The next day he was put under sedation so her veterinarian could better clean and stitch the wound after a thorough exam. The x-rays they took that day showed that Scoot had fractured his arm at the elbow and was suffering from inflammation, if not nerve damage, in his shoulder. Clearly, he had endured a lot in his short life.
Rather than undergo surgery to repair the fracture right away, Kori wanted to give Scoot time for his wound to heal and to see if he would regain the use of his arm. Fortunately, his wound healed beautifully and without infection, but his arm had not improved – in fact, it had gotten worse over the two weeks. He seemed not to have feeling in that arm and would drag it along, causing fluid to build up near his elbow that needed regular, and for him, traumatic, draining. For an otherwise healthy and spunky kitten who wanted to play, the injured arm was simply a hindrance.
Since he was doing so well with his three working limbs, Kori and the veterinarian decided that amputating the injured arm would be the best bet for giving Scoot a long and pain-free life. They could avoid the possibility of his arm healing incorrectly from fracture repair, and thus spare him from any more suffering. Because she had acted as a Good Samaritan in taking Scoot home, the veterinarian agreed to reduce the cost of his amputation surgery by half! Even so, it was a costly procedure. But he was already a member of the family, and Kori certainly wasn’t going to give up on the little guy now.
“Scoot has brought us so much happiness. Being a military family, we know a lot about resilience. Scoot definitely fits in well as he is the most resilient little thing. He brings us so much joy and has taught our daughter so much about responsibility and how to truly care for someone in need. Scoot is the exact definition of what it means to not know how much you needed something in your life until you stumbled upon having it. He truly was meant to be ours and we just want to give him the best life we possibly can.”
Armed with determination, the internet, and, most importantly, love, Kori pursued every opportunity she could find to raise funds for his surgery. Being told “no” did not stop her from trying, it only encouraged her to search more diligently for help. She wasted no time in applying for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant once her local humane society referred her to RedRover. Just 24 hours later, her search was over. So many kind people had invested their hearts, time, and money in rescuing Scoot from what could very well have been a painful death on the scorching blacktop. All of their love had brought him to this point in his healing, and now that an On-Call Angel had funded his Urgent Care grant, he was soon to have the wonderful life he deserved.
Scoot being so young and healthy, it was no surprise that his amputation surgery went smoothly and his recovery likewise. It had only been three weeks since he was found at the elementary school, but it may as well have been three of his nine lifetimes with how much better he was doing. This is the difference that a loving family and compassionate, generous people like you make:
“Scoot has been such a trooper through it all! He has adapted amazingly well to becoming a three-legged kitty cat and has embarked upon his new journey to a more fulfilling life with flying colors! Within 24 hours of coming home, Scoot was back to his snuggly and rambunctious self! Within a few days, he was walking with the gait you would expect from a three-legged cat, and just yesterday had his stitches removed and his second round of kitten vaccines! He is very much on the up and up and we look forward to continuing to watch him grow and thrive! Thank you again so much for your help and support, as we could not have done this without your wonderful organization! ♥️”
As 2023 draws to a close, we are grateful for all of the Happy Tails and second chances that you’ve made possible this year – and we look forward to many more in 2024! Thank you for being a special member of the RedRover community!
