Florida Cat with Bullet Lodged in Spine Survives (and Thrives!) with Help of Dog Pal

Roger the cat was shot in the back, but saved by a local vet and Naples Cat Alliance's helper dog Bitsy

Photo: Naples Cat Alliance

If you follow the Twitter account Florida Man, you know a lot of unusual news comes out of the Sunshine State. However, rarely do these down-and-out tales match the unfortunate yet ultimately endearing story of Roger Daltrey the Cat, who was found on the streets by animal control officers in Naples, Florida.

Roger, who resembles a Himalayan with his blue eyes and long tan coat, was discovered immobile with no use of his back legs, no control of his bodily functions, not neutered — and with a bullet lodged in his spine. His story was first reported by The Dodo, which noted that a shelter veterinarian named Karen Brown at Collier Domestic Animal Services decided to take a chance on the feline victim of human cruelty. By steadily administering prednisolone steroid injections into Roger, the kitty eventually gained back use of his legs. And from there, he was transferred to the Naples Cat Alliance for some extra TLC.

Although the bullet remains in his spine (doctors say it’s best for the cat’s health to leave it alone) and his tail needed to be amputated, Roger continues to improve by kitty leaps and bounds since his arrival at Naples Cat Alliance in September. This reversal is, at least in part, due to his special friendship with a dog named Bitsy.

Instead of being euthanized, a fate often suffered by many stray pets in Roger’s condition, the cat spends his days cuddling with the shelter’s resident canine cat-lover. In fact, Bitsy doesn’t even like other dogs, prefers the company of cats and first gained the Internet’s attention for babysitting abandoned kittens.

So, what’s the next step for the furry Roger Daltrey? A forever home, of course. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Naples Cat Alliance or make a donation to the shelter in its efforts to save other cats like him.