Duct-Taped Cat Has a New Furever Home
The cat who was mummified with duct tape has found a new home. Here’s the story from Philly.com:
By Peter Mucha
Inquirer Staff Writer‘Sticky’ has found a family.
The cat that became a media sensation after being found body-wrapped in duct tape joined its new adoptive family yesterday, according to the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
A handful of people called to claim ownership, but no one followed through, according to spokeswoman Liz Williamson.
“They were given the opportunity to come in and meet with our officers and prove ownership,” she said. “Only one person even set up an appointment and that person did not keep the appointment.”
More than 100 adoption requests came in, and they were considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
This family’s request came soon after the news broke Sept. 22 about a cat found bound from neck to toes in a North Philadelphia yard, Williamson said.
The female cat was nicknamed “Sticky” by workers at the PSPCA, where she was sedated so the tape could be removed with scissors. The cat was doing well after her ordeal.
The family wishes to remain anonymous, and Williamson didn’t know where they live or whether they have children or other pets.
She was also waiting word on whether the name “Sticky” would stick.
The case captured public attention, generating all sorts of news reports that led to increases in adoptions, donations and phone calls for the society’s headquarters in North Philadelphia.
Last year, from Sept. 23 to 29, 15 cats were adopted at the headquarters at 350 E. Erie Ave. This year, during the same period, 58 cats found new homes, an increase Williamson called “awesome.”
Donors who mentioned Sticky gave $2,075, she said.
Callers clogged phone lines with leads for investigators, who were offering a $2,000 reward.
On Saturday evening, acting on a tip, Pennsylvania SPCA law enforcement officers arrested James Davis, 19, of the 2100 block of 22d Street in North Philadelphia.
If convicted of the animal cruelty, Davis faces up to two years in prison and a fine of at least $1,000, the PSPCA said.
“He did not have any previous convictions or complaints related to animal cruelty,” Williamson said.
“We’re very pleased that Sticky’s story is one of our success stories,” she said. “We’re very, very pleased with the outpouring of love and support that not only Sticky received, but also our law-enforcement officers and staff during the past week.”
Many other cats and kittens are available for adoption, she pointed out.
“We encourage everyone who was interested in adopting Sticky to visit our headquarters at 350 E. Erie Ave. or the Animal Care and Control Team at 111 West Hunting Park Ave.,” Williamson said.
Adoption hours at Erie Avenue are 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. They’re more limited at West Hunting Park Avenue: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
James Davis (left), 19, of the 2100 block of 22nd St., was arrested on the evening of September 26, 2009. He now faces a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, which carries with it a sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine not less than $1000, the possibility of a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, as well as other related charges.
No, he wasn’t a blue light special. In Willow Street, Pennsylvania this week, an orange tabby was abandoned in a carrier in a K-Mart bathroom. He was found along with note from a girl named Elsie, that said that she said her family was moving and she wasn’t allowed to keep the cat, whose name was Boo Boo. Elsie thought the store would be a good place for the cat to keep warm.
