Buddy demonstrates the triumph of the feline spirit over his abusers’ intentions

NEWS AND COMMENT: You may remember the story of Buddy. He’s a little black cat who was minding his own business on a porch in Philadelphia. He preferred to live outside but was cared for by his owner. A couple of guys walked by with their Pitbull-type dogs and set the dogs upon him. He was badly mauled and taken to hospital. The dogs were put down by the authorities and the two guys have been arrested and charged with animal cruelty. They were juveniles and their parents appear to have talked them into giving themselves up.

RELATED – EARLIER POST: Two young American guys sicced their Pitbull-type dogs on a black cat

That’s the background and here’s the good news. Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA), in a Twitter tweet, have joyfully announced that Buddy ‘is doing well’. It was touch and go at one time. The announcement was on Monday. You can see the tweet below. He has been brave throughout. Although he was wired up to all kinds of medical contraptions and tubes, he purred and made muffins when he was petted.

Note: This is an embedded tweet. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Note: the PSPCA have gently reminded readers to think of the other cats in their care who need homes as well.

Here is a recent tweet (April 9, 2022):

He wanted the reassurance of a kind human and got it at the PSPCA. The purr was a thank you for kindness received. It appears that he might have been a little bit lucky because although he was badly bitten, he did not receive, as far as I am aware, internal injuries.

The domestic cat is a stoic individual. They endure injury and distressing conditions with good nature. And we know that they have nine lives. Perhaps this is another example.

RELATED: Why do cats have nine lives and dogs don’t?

On that topic, do you know why people say that cats have nine lives? I guess you do. It means that they are good survivors. But why the number 9? It is a phrase that was coined many years ago, in ancient times, when the number 9 was considered a particularly lucky number because it was a “trinity of trinities” (3×3). A number well suited to the lucky cat endowed with a resilience and toughness that we all admire.