Petite, little, little, 5 lb. Joon arrived at the Pet Emergency Center covered in fleas and with a broken leg so gangrenous that it required amputation. The person who brought her in could not afford either the life-saving surgery or the cost to humanely euthanize her, so the vet called BYC. After a frantic couple of hours rounding up transportation and emergency foster homes, BYC approved surgery on this young cat and coordinated the effort through Wintergreen Animal Hospital within 24 hours.

[Animals do not have the same sentimental attachment to their limbs that humans do, as they use their limbs for mobility purposes, not to open jars or carry things. Also, they have four, so one less does not cause a significant difference. After a brief balance adjustment, animals sail through life on 3 legs with no health or mobility limitations whatsoever, as fast as and competitive as their 4 legged companions. In Joon's case, since the nerves associated with the broken leg were removed and no weight was placed on the shoulder where the sutures were, she immediately had less pain and suffering that she'd had maneuvering with a broken leg. She is on no medications and should have no future health issues associated with her missing leg.]

Joon came home from the vet wearing a very potent pain patch underneath a blue wrap, which may explain why she completely ignored the foster home's pillow staircase and kept jumping on and off the guest bed directly. She was unfrightened by a fat old beagle, but perhaps in her drug-induced state, she thought it was her fairy godmother. Within three days, Joon begins to explore the foster home, eventually planting herself in the center of attention on the computer table. By the 5th day, the pain medication patch was removed and Joon began figuring out how to lay on her left side without rolling onto the sutures. By Day 12, Joon was chasing toys with a vengeance and able to leap tall cat trees in a single bound. She's very quick and in no way hindered by the missing leg. You'd think she should be since half of her landing gear is missing, but no one told her that.

If not for the Franklin Fund, Cooper and many others like him, might not have been saved. Please consider a donation to the Franklin Fund. Send your donation to:
Joon is extremely loving towards people, to the point of being a pest. She'll follow you around the house and lie down in the middle of whatever you're doing - laundry, taxes, email. And if you're lying down, perhaps while suffering from a head cold, prepare to have a (now) 7 lb. vibrating chest warmer whose purr is so loud you need to turn the TV up. She has a quiet, gentle nature, but a big mouth, especially at breakfast or if she's on what she considers the wrong side of the bedroom door. She's become accustomed to the foster home's cats and dogs but would do best in a home with only one or two other pets as she is much more in your face with fewer distractions. Joon was a southpaw by nature, so while it is unfortunate that it was her left front leg that was amputated, it is very fortunate for the foster home's beagles who otherwise would have taken many a hit on the muzzle for their nosey natures. However, Joon seems to have forgotten that her leg is missing and frequently swats at the toys or passing dogs with her shoulder. If you are interested in adopting Joon, please contact BYC.

The Franklin Fund, Because You Care, Inc.
PO Box 54
McKean, PA 16426