A Tabby cat who was dunked in paint thinner last month in New Westminster, B.C., has died. In the end, the orange house cat, Harley, was suffering too much and was put down.
Harley was recently reunited with owner Jennifer Szoke and her son Nate after spending several weeks in intensive care at the Canada West Veterinary Hospital in Vancouver.
In Pictures: Remembering Harley
The two-year-old cat suffered severe burns to his throat and mouth from trying to lick off the toxic solvent after he and another cat appear to have been deliberately dipped in paint thinner while outdoors.
Harley also had a collapsed lung. During his recovery he was forced to eat and drink through a tube, and veterinarians considered performing a tracheotomy. The other cat survived, but scarring was preventing Harley from breathing correctly.
Animal control officers were hopeful that the cat would pull through because of his young age, but in the end he relapsed and went into distress earlier this week.
A message on a Facebook page called ‘Save Harley's Roar,' a friend describes his last days.
"(Vets) discovered that the scar tissue in his esophagus had caused it to be so small they could not even fit in a tube. It was inevitable that in the next day or two he would choke and lose his ability to clear his throat or breathe."
"Although we are devastated, we are amazed at the good nature and love shown by so many animal lovers and hope this encourages publicly the quality of care that can be supplied by places like Canada West Veterinary, as even the staff were in tears."
Harley's owners are now left with about $18,000 in vet bills.
New Westminster police have opened a file and are investigating the incident.
To donate to Harley's vet bills click here
