WATCH ABOVE: The injured kitten known as Henry the #warriorcat has been adopted by the family that rescued him. Emily Mertz has the details.
EDMONTON — The little kitten found injured on the side of an Alberta highway has been adopted by the family that rescued him.
Henry the “warrior cat” was reacquainted with his new family — Clint, Tamara, Samuel and Erin Rempel — on Monday at the Edmonton Humane Society.
About two months ago, Clint saw the kitten on his drive back to Edmonton from Calgary, about 10 kilometres south of Red Deer.
“I saw this little lump of fur on the side, on the shoulder, on Highway 2,” Clint recalled. “I pulled over and I picked him up and he was still alive.
“He was pretty badly injured and I didn’t know how he was going to do. I put him into the truck on a coat on my passenger seat.”
Clint looked around the ditch in case there were any other cats there, but there weren’t.
“It definitely pulls at your heartstrings.”
He made a stop at home so his wife and kids could see the kitten and they dropped him off at the after-hours vet clinic. From there, the Edmonton Humane Society took over Henry’s care.
“They wanted him right away,” said Clint, of his kids’ reaction to the injured kitten. “I said ‘I don’t know if we can keep him… I don’t know if he’s going to survive.'”
“We were attached immediately,” echoed Tamara.
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But this little cat had an uphill climb ahead of him.
“Staff who admitted him really didn’t know if he was going to make it,” said spokesperson Jocelyn Wady. But Henry made it through that first night, and dozens more after that, earning his nickname “warrior cat.”
Henry’s back leg healed but his front – which was severely dislocated – didn’t. Veterinarians determined the best course of treatment would be to amputate that leg. He had the surgery on June 30, and within 24 hours, he was walking and playing. After 48 hours, his bandages were removed.
READ MORE: Henry the ‘warrior cat’ in good spirits following amputation
“The kids were quite concerned about him so all of us were following Henry on social media and we were lucky enough that we got to adopt him,” said Clint.
“I think just as it’s gone on these last couple months, he’s really grown in all of our hearts.
“He’s already a member of the family before we even get him. It’s nice.”
The “warrior cat” has earned a huge following on social media and is raising the profile of the Humane Society, the work it does for other animals, and the need for the public’s support.
“Our shelter is quite full with major medical cases coming in so Henry is like our super star right now,” explained Wady. “The funds that are coming in on Henry’s behalf are really helping all the animals in the shelter.”
As of Monday, a GoFundMe campaign for Henry had raised more than $8,600. Any excess funds will go towards the EHS’ Sick and Injured Animal Fund.
“We are just so happy that we were able to help him and in turn help all the other animals at the shelter,” added Wady.
The Rempels are just thankful EHS was there to help.
“It makes me feel grateful that the Edmonton Humane Society was here to keep him growing and healthy,” said Clint.
Tamara and Erin plan to keep offering updates on Henry through a blog.
“Everybody loves him so much,” said Tamara. “If it can raise any more money for the Sick and Injured Animal Fund… if it can help so many more animals, it would be great.”
The family didn’t plan on adding a third cat to their crew, but said Henry was impossible to pass up.
“I think he’s going to fit right in,” said Tamara.
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