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Susan Reinhardt: 'Jack Sparrow' triumphs over buckshot and amputation | citizen-times.com | Asheville Citizen-Times
When most people get a new pet, it's healthy and lively. Lynwood and Polly Jackson aren't most people.
Jack Sparrow is the newest member of their cat brood and his story is one for the books.
By most accounts, Jack Sparrow, a white Manx, is one cat that barely made it. Talk about nine lives.
Back in early October, someone brought an emaciated and parasite-riddled cat into the Buncombe County Animal Shelter. One leg oozed black with gangrene.
The cat cried when placed in a cage, in obvious pain. Staff members gave him food, his first meal in weeks, and warm blankets until a vet could be called in to see if he could be saved.
Jennifer Brehler, director of operations at the Asheville Humane Society, ran her hands across the cat's body and felt protruding bones. She knew he was in grave danger of dying.
“His body was skeletal,” she said. But that was just the beginning of this cat's horrific injuries.
Under special circumstances, vets are called in to help animals that may have a chance. Staff at the Animal Hospital of North Asheville assessed the injuries and took X-rays. What they found was an even greater blow — buckshot throughout his body.
“This confirmed what we suspected,” Brehler said. “Jack had been suffering painfully alone outside for weeks after someone shot him.”
After vets amputated the front left leg and pumped him full of antibiotics, the cat rallied.
This is how he got the name Jack Sparrow, after the Disney pirate, due to his valiant spirit and determination to live.
For a few weeks, he stayed with a Humane Society staff member. That's when another blow fell. The cat was completely deaf.
Once given the go-ahead from vets, the staff knew it would take a special person or family to adopt Jack Sparrow. They couldn't risk this cat enduring more suffering. Being only 4 years old, he had a lot of living left to do.
While Jack Sparrow looked a mess, he'd been neutered and was a full-blooded Manx with one blue eye and the other yellow.
He'd also been microchipped, but when his owner was called, she denied the cat was hers, Polly Jackson said.
One day, after weeks of medical and foster care, the Humane Society put out a bulletin about Jack Sparrow, the “miracle cat with nine lives.”
Lynwood Jackson had adopted from the shelter before and received the news releases. There was a story about Jack Sparrow with photos.
He felt his heart pull.
The shelter was taking names of those who wished to give the cat a home, and part of the process was writing a letter expressing how they'd go about making this cat happy and healthy for the rest of its life.
Jackson waxed beautifully about giving Jack a good home, and also a pet trust fund upon his or his wife Polly's passing.
“He was full of fleas and down to bones,” Polly recalls about the cat's early weeks.
As Jackson considered his options, he realized he had none. Jack Sparrow belonged in his family of three other cats.
“He's wonderful,” Polly said. “He thinks his leg is still there and tries to cover stuff up with the joint that was left.”
The Jacksons believe with all the buckshot in the cat, someone was trying to kill it. And with him being deaf, he couldn't anticipate the shooting and run to safety.
Twenty people wanted the cat, Polly said, but her husband “won” the shelter staff over.
“He came walking in with this cat one day and surprised me,” she said. “He was pitiful but absolutely beautiful.”
Jack is quickly making friends with the trio of other cats in the home, and is gradually becoming a part of the family.
“He's doing fine,” Lynwood said. “He's hopping around and learning to live with his disabilities.”
The Jacksons are also learning ways to communicate with this purring but completely deaf kitty. They tried all sorts of high pitches, but say the cat is “stone deaf.”
Jack does respond to vibrations, such as stomps on the floor to get his attention.
“He's instinctively learning from us by our physical actions,” Polly said.
“He's got a good home and will have a good life,” Lynwood added. “At first he was in a complete funk and would just sleep. Now, he's becoming a cat again.”
When most people get a new pet, it's healthy and lively. Lynwood and Polly Jackson aren't most people.
Jack Sparrow is the newest member of their cat brood and his story is one for the books.
By most accounts, Jack Sparrow, a white Manx, is one cat that barely made it. Talk about nine lives.
Back in early October, someone brought an emaciated and parasite-riddled cat into the Buncombe County Animal Shelter. One leg oozed black with gangrene.
The cat cried when placed in a cage, in obvious pain. Staff members gave him food, his first meal in weeks, and warm blankets until a vet could be called in to see if he could be saved.
Jennifer Brehler, director of operations at the Asheville Humane Society, ran her hands across the cat's body and felt protruding bones. She knew he was in grave danger of dying.
“His body was skeletal,” she said. But that was just the beginning of this cat's horrific injuries.
Under special circumstances, vets are called in to help animals that may have a chance. Staff at the Animal Hospital of North Asheville assessed the injuries and took X-rays. What they found was an even greater blow — buckshot throughout his body.
“This confirmed what we suspected,” Brehler said. “Jack had been suffering painfully alone outside for weeks after someone shot him.”
After vets amputated the front left leg and pumped him full of antibiotics, the cat rallied.
This is how he got the name Jack Sparrow, after the Disney pirate, due to his valiant spirit and determination to live.
For a few weeks, he stayed with a Humane Society staff member. That's when another blow fell. The cat was completely deaf.
Once given the go-ahead from vets, the staff knew it would take a special person or family to adopt Jack Sparrow. They couldn't risk this cat enduring more suffering. Being only 4 years old, he had a lot of living left to do.
While Jack Sparrow looked a mess, he'd been neutered and was a full-blooded Manx with one blue eye and the other yellow.
He'd also been microchipped, but when his owner was called, she denied the cat was hers, Polly Jackson said.
One day, after weeks of medical and foster care, the Humane Society put out a bulletin about Jack Sparrow, the “miracle cat with nine lives.”
Lynwood Jackson had adopted from the shelter before and received the news releases. There was a story about Jack Sparrow with photos.
He felt his heart pull.
The shelter was taking names of those who wished to give the cat a home, and part of the process was writing a letter expressing how they'd go about making this cat happy and healthy for the rest of its life.
Jackson waxed beautifully about giving Jack a good home, and also a pet trust fund upon his or his wife Polly's passing.
“He was full of fleas and down to bones,” Polly recalls about the cat's early weeks.
As Jackson considered his options, he realized he had none. Jack Sparrow belonged in his family of three other cats.
“He's wonderful,” Polly said. “He thinks his leg is still there and tries to cover stuff up with the joint that was left.”
The Jacksons believe with all the buckshot in the cat, someone was trying to kill it. And with him being deaf, he couldn't anticipate the shooting and run to safety.
Twenty people wanted the cat, Polly said, but her husband “won” the shelter staff over.
“He came walking in with this cat one day and surprised me,” she said. “He was pitiful but absolutely beautiful.”
Jack is quickly making friends with the trio of other cats in the home, and is gradually becoming a part of the family.
“He's doing fine,” Lynwood said. “He's hopping around and learning to live with his disabilities.”
The Jacksons are also learning ways to communicate with this purring but completely deaf kitty. They tried all sorts of high pitches, but say the cat is “stone deaf.”
Jack does respond to vibrations, such as stomps on the floor to get his attention.
“He's instinctively learning from us by our physical actions,” Polly said.
“He's got a good home and will have a good life,” Lynwood added. “At first he was in a complete funk and would just sleep. Now, he's becoming a cat again.”
