Mirielle鈥檚 Christmas wish is to find her forever home with a loving family and lots of carpet.
She was recently rescued from the streets of Oliver, B.C., where she was living with her two kittens. The mature feline has severely deformed back legs, believed to be as a result of a congenital birth defect.
鈥淗er little back legs are only about half what they should so when she鈥檚 on a slippery surface like a floor she just kind of scoots her bum along, but if she鈥檚 on a carpet then she walks using her back legs,鈥� said Theresa Nolet, vice president of who placed the cat and kittens in a Penticton foster home.
鈥淲e call her Mirielle, which is a French name for miracle, because it鈥檚 a miracle she survived not being able to jump or climb and with all the dogs and coyotes around. How she made it? I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
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Somebody in the neighbourhood where she was found had seen her condition and was worried her deformity was caused by a human and contacted AlleyCATS.
It鈥檚 not known how long she had been living on the streets. At the time an AlleyCATS member went door-to-door to see if anyone knew about her.
鈥淭he information the volunteer gathered was this cat was approximately eight-years-old and had been living in that area outside having kittens and just surviving,鈥� said Nolet. 鈥淧eople were occasionally feeding her and no one stepped forward saying that they owned her.鈥�
The upsetting thing to Nolet is the cat may have been left alone by its former owner to fend for herself.
鈥�(Mirielle) wasn鈥檛 friendly at first but it became very apparent after a little while that she was a socialized cat,鈥� she said.
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Garry Mitchell and his wife who are currently looking after Mirielle agreed: 鈥淚 actually believe at one point she must have been someone鈥檚 pet because she鈥檚 really quite friendly. She is cautious around people in terms she鈥檚 always walking the other way when I鈥檓 petting her, but she鈥檚 really an affectionate cat.
鈥淚 think she will make a really nice pet for someone.鈥�
Mirielle is also a polydactyl cat with more than the allotted number of five toes on her front feet and a short tail which indicates she may have some Manx breed in her.
X-rays taken by Dr. Ellen Nicklassen, of the Kelowna Veterinary Clinic, who first examined her showed the deformity to be a birth defect and not human caused.
She has since been spayed and her two kittens were also put up for adoption.
Anyone is interested in adopting Mirielle the miracle cat can call AlleyCATS at 250-462-8195 or visit.
鈥淲e just want to find someone to give Mirielle her forever home, she does need some special attention so her little legs don鈥檛 get infected or the callouses worn off,鈥� said Nolet. 鈥淎nd lots of carpet.鈥�
newstips@pentictonwesternnews.com
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