O'Malley

In the world of rescue, we come across devastating stories all the time. But something about O’Malley’s was different. From the very beginning, O’Malley was a fighter with an unbreakable spirit. Every step of the way, he held on, refusing to give up. And now, he’s soaking up an amazing life with his forever family.

Someone evil maliciously hurled O’Malley from a moving car. The poor kitty landed hard in the center of the road, and, caught in a delirious state, wandered the intersection. A car ran him down amid the chaos, crushing him. Thankfully, someone witnessed all of this unfold and immediately rushed to help.

When we received the call, we could hardly make out what the finder was saying. She was heartbroken, holding O’Malley’s broken body in her trembling hands. We told her to rush him to the E.R., where we would meet her.

To our relief, O’Malley suffered no internal damage. However, his pelvis was obliterated, and he had no feeling in his tail and urinary/sphincter area, hinting at nerve damage. The poor kitty was unable to urinate on his own, and defecating was a struggle. The plan was hastily set: O’Malley would undergo an emergency surgery where the medical team would insert a plate on one side of his hip and perform a Femoral Head Ostectomy on the other. Additionally, his tail would need to be amputated.

The incredible vet team worked for over two and a half hours, far into the night, to stabilize O’Malley’s crushed pelvis. Because there was so much trauma, they decided to delay the FHO surgery and tail amputation until he was able to spend some time recovering. In such a short time, his body had gone through so much.

O’Malley settled in with his foster family, where he would spend his time resting from surgery. The adoring fosters expressed his bladder daily, sacrificing hours of sleep to tend to his every need. Eventually, O’Malley managed to eat on his own—a promising sign! This meant he was still in this, determined to make it through.

However, the poor kitty began exhibiting pain. He was uncomfortable, struggling to find a cozy spot to lie down. We brought him to the vet, hopeful nothing serious was going on. Thankfully, bloodwork ruled out any internal damage. Vets prescribed him stronger pain medication and anti-inflammatories, and sent him back to his temporary home.

The good news continued. O’Malley was able to pass a stool on his own, without assistance, and eventually urinated a little all by himself! He was getting better. There were a few bumps along the road; at one point, the poor boy was incredibly constipated and needed an enema as well as additional X-rays to ensure everything could pass safely. But day by day, he grew stronger, and the light returned to his eyes.

O’Malley spent his days snuggling in his fosters’ laps and purring soundly. He was safe, and at long last, he understood that. Also, an exam later revealed that he indeed had some feeling near the tail and vertebrae, so it turned out that we could save the tail after all! There was no need for an amputation. We could hardly wipe the smiles from our faces at the joyful news.

Months after we initially rescued O’Malley, he was ready for his FHO surgery. He made it through with flying colors, and hours later, he visibly felt better. The sweet boy returned to his medical foster, where he continued to be monitored and cared for. Weeks later, he was an entirely different kitty—full of spirit and endless energy!

Weeks following his surgery, an adoption application hit our inbox. One glance, and we knew it was the perfect home for O’Malley. His new owner welcomed him with open arms, promising to always keep him safe and remind him, each day, that he is truly loved. There’s no better place that O’Malley could’ve ended up!

We are so happy for O’Malley, and immensely proud of him. He overcame the near-impossible and bounced back with an inspiring resilience. He didn’t let his hardships get him down—he stood back up and continued moving forward. He, and we, couldn’t have done this without you. And for that, we are so grateful.

To every person reading this, thank you. You played an integral role in healing O’Malley and proving to him that kindness does, in fact, exist in the world. Every donation, every act of compassion, every thoughtful word, every share, made a difference in this brave kitty’s fight for life.

And to O’Malley: have a wonderful life, sweet baby!