A woman was shocked when a badly wounded cat appeared at her house looking as though he had been through World War II.
When Pam Latham from South Carolina arrived home from work as usual, she noticed a small, white, wraith-like form of what appeared to be a cat in her carport.
“What the heck is that?” she thought. As she drew closer, she realized that it was indeed a cat, but it was in a shocking state.
Pam’s daughter Mallory recounted the story of the cat on social media, “It was obvious this feline has barely survived some kind of epic battle.”
The cat was extremely fragile and was so thin that he looked skeletal. The poor thing was practically bald, and he could hardly see out of his eyes due to injuries to his face, while his forehead looked swollen, and his fur was caked with blood.
Though Pam had no intention of ever getting a pet, when she saw the cat, she knew in her heart there is a reason for everything—the cat desperately needed help.
Pam picked him up gently and took him inside. She was struck by the cat’s calm spirit. She cleaned him up and discovered he was riddled with fleas and ticks. He was given food and water, and a warm bed for the night, and first thing the next morning, Pam took the cat to the vet.
“[Pam] said he’s the sweetest thing ever & just purrs & puts his paw out wanting her to pet him,” Mallory wrote on Instagram. “We think he was either in a fight or maybe got hit by a car. He doesn’t technically have a name so the vet was calling him Battle Cat lol.”
The vet examined him and learned the extent of Battle Cat’s wounds: his face was infected from the open sores, he had punctures to the body, a ruptured eardrum, and his head had abscesses. He was also running a fever and was malnourished. It looked as though Battle Cat had truly just returned from battle.
Yet, the vet was amazed by Battle Cat’s tenaciousness—this cat was a trooper!
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Many kind hearts stepped forward and helped them exceed the $500 target, reaching $2,695 in just 3 months. Meanwhile, Pam continued caring for her new feline family member.
Thankfully, his health was returning---it appeared as if Battle Cat survived the worst.
“I had some doubts that he would make it, but I kept my fingers crossed and he pulled through with flying colors,” Pamela told The Dodo.
After 83 days, Pam officially adopted her new charge. His fur grew back, and his wounds healed. Pam, fittingly, renamed him Lazarus.
“He runs my mom’s house now ? He is really so sweet though & so laid back considering he went through hell,” Mallory wrote.
It just goes to show how much we need each other, and no doubt, it’s the best thing that could have happened to Pamela, her family, and Lazarus.
“He is such a sweetheart,” said Pam. “I could not ask for a more humble, easygoing, laid-back cat.”
