This winter, TNR.org committed to catching a trap-shy feral cat that has had a piece of plastic tubing stuck around his neck for nearly 5 years. Dubbed “Pipecleaner” by the residents of South Bound Brook, NJ, the beloved community cat has become something of an unofficial mascot for the town.
Trapping a trap-shy cat like Pipecleaner can be challenging and time-intensive. Therefore, we took a careful and methodical approach to give us the best chance of success. However, when Pipecleaner showed up one day with an open wound on his head, we were forced to make an urgent trapping attempt to prevent his health from deteriorating further.
Fortunately, our trapping attempt was successful. We immediately rushed him to the vet, where he was sedated to allow the staff to examine him.
The good news is that — after 5 long years — the plastic tubing has finally been removed from his neck.
However, during their examination, the vet clinic staff noted multiple open wounds on Pipecleaner’s body, some of which showed signs of infection. Areas that required treatment included both cheeks, the top of his head, his left shoulder, and his rear paws.
In addition, nearly all his back nails had been torn out and were bleeding, likely from scratching at the plastic tubing stuck around his neck.
Pipecleaner now needs your help. Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help ensure Pipecleaner has a better quality of life. Your donations will help us cover the following expenses:
- Vet bills
- Neutering surgery for Pipecleaner and another cat that eats at the same location
- Food and supplies required to house Pipecleaner during his recovery
- Equipment purchased to help trap Pipecleaner
If we exceed our fundraising goal, we will use the additional funds to help more cats in the South Bound Brook / Somerset area.
