Cat nearly 'buried alive' under the snow when sniffed out by dog in Burlington

An abandoned cat named Paisley rescued in Burlington, Ont. this week would likely not have been discovered if it weren’t for a resident’s dog spotting her 'buried alive' under the snow.

Stephanie Niro-Pisani, Executive Director of Home At Last Rescue, a cat rescue in the area, told CTV News Toronto Friday that Paisley, who's about five years old, was found at the end of Hidden Valley Road on Monday night at around 5:30 p.m.

“I think she was found probably a few hours after that storm had started,” Niro-Pisani said. “[A woman] was walking her dog, and it was already coming down quite a bit, and she said luckily her dog sniffed the cat out because she would never have seen the carrier hidden under the snow.”

Niro-Pisani said the cat was found in her carrier, buried deep in the snow, and that whoever had left Paisley there had left her with a bowl of food – outside of the carrier.

“The carrier door was left ajar, but she was so scared. She did not leave the carrier, which is probably for the best because indoor, I mean cats in general, are not meant to survive outside – and definitely, a cat who’s never been outside wouldn't stand a chance,” she said.

“Of course, had she not been found, she would have likely been buried alive.”

 

 

 

 

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Due to the slick road conditions, Niro-Pisani said the cat wasn’t brought into their vet clinic until the next morning.

“When she got to our vet, our vet found she was quite sweet,” Niro-Pisani said, adding Paisley got a bit irritated when a full exam was administered, which she says is common behaviour for most cats.

Following bloodwork and X-rays, Niro-Pisani says Paisley is doing surprisingly well, adding there was nothing alarming from her physical exam – other than the fact she was a bit dehydrated.

However, Niro-Pisani notes that Paisley had no microchip, and did not appear to be spayed. She is set to undergo the procedure Monday.

The next steps for Paisley, before she can get adopted, will be to go to a foster home for a couple of weeks so the rescue can ensure she is fully healthy, has all of her vaccines, and get a sense of what her personality is like and what kind of forever home is right for her.

“She’s obviously been through a rough start, and whoever [she was with] previously was not a good home, and so we want to make sure that we find [her] the right home,” Niro-Pisani said.

While Paisley is lucky to have been rescued, Niro-Pisani says this is “unfortunately” a common occurrence rescue centres are seeing.

“A few weeks ago, we actually rescued a cat that was tied in a bag and left outside,” she said. “It’s becoming sad that people don’t seem to think there are other alternatives to rehoming their pets when they have to.”

Since southern Ontario is forecasted to see up to 35 cm of snow this weekend, Niro-Pisani encourages those to keep their eyes peeled for cats roaming the streets in this weather.

“Obviously a fractious cat would not be safe for somebody to take into their home. But I know if my cat got out, I would want somebody to keep it safe in their bathroom overnight until they could find the owner or see if it was microchipped,” she said.