Cat Displaced by Hurricane Ike Returns Home
After a Year on the Streets, Clawless, Neutered Feline is Redeemed
Sep 16, 2009
Southwest Louisiana is no stranger to inclement weather. Last year, when Hurricane Ike was on its way, Randy and Kathy Miller left their home in Lake Charles and headed north, taking no chances with the storm.
After an hour of driving, they stopped along the way in the quaint town of DeRidder at the McDonald's on Rt. 171 and Magnolia St. where Randy took Jack-Jack out on a leash to let him stretch his legs and relieve himself.
The Not-so-Great Escape
Jack-Jack had been in a body leash, which, Randy notes, he hated.
Most likely sensing the oncoming storm with his feline instincts, according to Randy, this little Manx "looked back at me, then backed out of the leash, and ran away."
As unbelievable as this sounds, it is not unbelievable that the Millers could not find Jack-Jack after an hour of searching. With the storm coming, he had likely found shelter, and they had to leave in dismay.
Neutered, Declawed, and all Alone
Naturally, winter followed autumn. And while Louisiana winters are nothing compared to those up north, evening temperatures did reach single digits more than once.
Along with the harsh elements, Jack-Jack could not hunt or fight. Having been declawed, he was unable to do much more than swat at his prey with a soft, cuddly paw, and, having been neutered, any fight he could have put up had likely been taken out of him via surgical procedure.
Throughout the year, Jack-Jack had apparently been engaged in battle. His hind area remains scarred, leading one to believe that he must have attempted to fight with his back legs, which, for all his marks, appear to have put up a worthy defense.
Despite his heart and determination, Jack-Jack- aging and malnourished- was mostly dependent on the kindness of strangers.
A Stray Returns Home
Jack-Jack had never gone far from where he had escaped. For a year, he had remained on Magnolia St., less than a tenth of a mile from where he had gotten out of his collar when the storm came rushing for the gulf states.
One family, who prefers to remain anonymous, had begun putting food out for Jack this past August. They noted how gentle he was, almost to a fault.
"I didn't mind feeding him, but I had preferred that he at least kill some bugs, too," said one.
Shortly after, they realized that if this stray was going to become the family's outdoor cat, she (they thought Jack-Jack was female) was going to need to be spayed and current on her shots.
Upon giving Jack-Jack a bath, the tub filled with the blood that had set into his matted fur over the year. It was then that this family had noticed that he had no claws and was not the average stray, explaining his docility.
Following this, Jack-Jack was taken to the Hoerner Veterinary Hospital in DeRidder where it was discovered that he had been neutered, and also had had a chip implanted into him.
And it was that chip that led to the Millers being reunited with their precious pet, and a lost soul to be redeemed not more than one tenth of a mile from where he had once been lost.
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