“Smurf continues to improve and his wounds are healing well!” the post read, adding that Smurf had developed a bond with another cat in the shelter.
“Wanda has taken on a purple hue from snuggling with Smurf! We hope that he and Wanda are able to go to their foster home this week!”
Smurf underwent emergency abdominal surgery in addition to procedures to repair his severely wounded hind leg. It’s unclear how Smurf became so severely wounded but speculation states that the wounds are consistent with bites.
“I’ve seen a lot of animals used as bait for other animals, it looks to me like he was used as a chew toy,” Monica Rudiger of Nine Lives told KTVU. “He obviously wasn’t killed by the dog or whatever animal it was but he was pretty badly injured.”
Nine Lives also gave thanks for food and other donations made to Smurf and promised weekly updates on his status.
