Cat found with arrow through its chest in Eaton County

EATON COUNTY, Mich. — Investigators are looking for information about who might have hurt a male cat found with an arrow through its chest in rural Kalamo Township.

The cream-and-white colored tabby was brought to the Capital Area Humane Society today after it was found beneath a deck along Carlisle Highway, authorities said.

The cat was in surgery at an off-site clinic this afternoon, said Julia Willson, president and CEO of the humane society office.

“It’s pretty touch-and-go right now,” Willson said. “Even under the best-case scenario, we think he’s going to lose a front limb because the radial nerve is severed.”

The Eaton County Sheriff’s Office said the feline was shot with a crossbow bolt fitted with a target tip. The cat’s owner is an elderly woman who cannot afford veterinary care, they said. She had last seen her cat on Saturday.

Willson said the cat is about 1 year old and was in otherwise good condition. One good sign: He wasn’t showing signs of significant respiratory distress, she said.

“He was in surprisingly good spirits when he came in,” she said. “He’s a sweet boy, very accommodating to being touched. You can tell he’s not afraid of humans.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the sheriff’s department tip line at 517-543-5433. Tips can be left anonymously, officials said.