In Argentina in 2019, Florencia Lobo and her younger brother found a pair of itty bitty kittens by the side of the road. Their mother lay dead next to them, and the babies looked pitiful and lost. The siblings assumed the mother had died during labor and took the kittens under their wing. [1] “We thought that it was an abandoned cat who had given birth,” Florence told Reuters.
An Abandoned Cat Turned Out to be a Puma
She took them home but unfortunately, only one survived. She named the abandoned cat Tito and adopted him. Over two months, she nursed him back to health and helped him regain his strength. In return, he was adorable, cuddly, and affectionate back to her, just like a normal cat.
However, a plot twist awaited her months later when she took Tito to the vet for a checkup. Immediately, the vet knew something was off about the feline. [2]
“The vet didn’t know what it was but said it was not a normal cat,” Florence said.
So he told her to call a local wildlife reserve in Yerba Buena. There, the staff gave Florence startling news: Tito was, in fact, a puma jaguarundi, a wild cat native to South America and southern North America.
After a bittersweet goodbye to Florence, Tito “the abandoned cat” now lives at the reserve. The staff plans to return him to the wild. [3]
Read: Stunningly Rare Albino Turtles Look Like Fiery Little Creatures
Woman Finds a Dog That Turns Out to be a Coyote
A similar story of mistaken identity occurred last year with the canine species. A young woman rescued an injured stray dog before realizing he was actually a coyote.
Andrea Athie found the injured creature by the side of the road in Mexico. She feared another car had run over him. So she pulled over, took him into her vehicle, and drove him to a vet.
“When I rescued it, I thought it looked a bit weird, but I had no idea it was a coyote,” she said. “I was told it was dangerous, but I insisted it was a dog. The coyote was run over by a motorist who did not stop to help the animal. It was limping on the side of the road.” [4]
Meanwhile, her story went viral when her brother posted a picture of her with the animal on Twitter. The caption read: “Today my sister picked up a COYOTE thinking it was a run-over dog and took it to the vet.”
She responded with: “Why are you burning me like this !? Haha, I love you.
Pancho is very well; today, he begins his treatment. For everyone interested.”
According to the vet, the coyote, who Athie named Pancho, had injuries in both of his hind paws. This took some time to heal, so they contacted a wildlife rehabilitator to take care of the wild creature.
“I never thought my story would be so popular online. We want to return the coyote to its natural habitat, but it is not responding to the treatment, and we want its paws to fully heal,” Athie said. “We are searching for alternatives. It is a wild animal out of its natural habitat, and it appears to be depressed, but we are still trying to treat it.”
Unfortunately, although everything was being done to help him, Pancho refused to eat or move after the medical work. He was depressed to be so far from his home.
Sadly, there were more internal injuries than just the ones on the paws. Pancho passed away after staying in a wildlife hospital for five days. The story is still a testament to Athie’s kindness and the hard work of wildlife rescuers. [5]
Keep Reading: Girl Donates All Her Birthday Money to Homeless Man Who Returned Her Grandma’s Wallet
References:
- “Woman Finds Abandoned Cat And Keeps Him For Months, Only To Learn He’s A Wild Puma.” Little Things. Amy P. December 2019.
- “Argentinian Woman Discovers Pet Kitten She Rescued Is Actually a Puma After Visit to the Vet.” People. Maria Pasquini. November 22, 2019.
- “Adopted ‘kitten’ turns out to be a puma.” Reuters. November 21, 2019
- “Woman discovers dangerous truth about rescue dog.” Yahoo News. October 6, 2019
- “Woman Is Stunned When She Realizes She Just Rescued A Coyote”. I Heart Dogs. Amber LaRock.
