ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A beloved neighborhood cat in Pinellas County is recovering after being shot with an arrow, but its rescuers are remaining cautiously optimistic.
The cat was trapped and saved near 72nd Avenue North and 33rd Street North in an unincorporated area near St. Pete and Pinellas Park. Rescuers from the organization Cat Trap Fever saved the 3-year-old cat on Jan. 31.
Pinellas County deputies are still looking for the person responsible for harming the injured stray.
"I'd want him to know that he's been let down once, and we're gonna do everything in our power not to let him down a second time," Jessica Kelly-Heckman with Cat Trap Fever said.
The cat was among a group of other stray community cats in the neighborhood. He's been temporarily named "PAKman," an acronym for "Poor Arrow Kitty" until he is healthy enough to be adopted to a secure home.
Neighbors described PAKman as a "neighborhood cat" and "super friendly."
"That's a needless cause of suffering that I don't understand," neighbor Pete Haa said. "Someone should be held accountable for that."
PAKman already survived a high-risk surgery. His rescuers are closely monitoring his condition one day at a time.
At the moment, he is being fed through a feeding tube as he recovers from the serious injuries.
"My heart is optimistic because he's up, he's licking, he's moving, but I'm trying to stay guarded to avoid that devastation provided he does not pull through," Kelly-Heckman said.
Kelly-Heckman said the hope is not only for PAKman to make a strong recovery, but also to find him a loving family someday.
"With me doing so much outreach and so much work within the community and always needing to have a safe space for the next cat in need, I feel it's only fair for me to bless him with somebody who's going to make him their whole world," she said.
The organization has been documenting his progress on Facebook gaining the attention of many and even more so since law enforcement has gotten involved.
Cat Trap Fever is a small non-profit organization run by volunteers and support from the community. Kelly-Heckman said she hopes the attention also sheds light on the importance of spaying and neutering community cats.
She said she plans to help the other community cats in the future, but for now, must focus her attention on PAKman and other rescues the organization fulfills.
If you'd like to help out with PAKman's recovery and the organization's efforts, visit this link.
Anyone with any information on this case or similar cases is asked to contact Detective McKee at 727-582-5827. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of Pinellas County, Inc by calling **TIPS or http://crimestoppersofpinellas.org.
