Clovis Police found cat bound with electrical tape in January; today, he’s been with his new family for 6 months

An adult orange cat with white markings was found bound with electrical tape inside a backpack. Someone used electrical tape all over the little creature. That’s how Zucchini’s tragic story began on Jan. 17.

Clovis Police officers found the 24-year-old suspect who stuffed the cat into his backpack. Officers searched the backpack to find Zucchini had electrical tape tightly wrapped several times around his neck, face and nose. His legs were bound together, too. Officers quickly removed the tape from the cat’s face and Zucchini began to breathe on his own.

Animal services staff immediately rushed to the scene and brought Zucchini back to the receiving and care center. With a quick exam to make sure his breathing was good, he was then transferred immediately to the emergency veterinarian hospital to remove all of the remaining tape and further assess his condition. The veterinarian was able to free him from the tape that had kept him restrained.

Although he was weak, he was soon standing. Zucchini lost quite a bit of the hair around his ears, and his eyes were bruised during the ordeal. The veterinarian said Zucchini likely would have died in the backpack had officers not stopped the suspect. Police arrested the 24-year-old man for charges including outright animal cruelty, in addition to possession of narcotics paraphernalia violation of probation and a false ID.

We are very pleased to let you know that Zucchini survived without permanent disability or injury from the incident. And, we thank all of those who helped in his rescue and finding him a new home. Zucchini spent two weeks at the veterinarian’s office.

Zucchini received rehabilitation after leaving the hospital and went into foster care at the Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center. That didn’t last too long for Zucchini; he was adopted in May, within just a day or two. We are grateful to all of those concerned people who helped in his recovery. If you would like to help the animals, please visit us at www.MissWinkles.com or call (559) 324-2485. Zucchini thanks you.

All of the donations and all of the time are vital to the success of the Receiving and Care Center and the Miss Winkles Pet Adoption Center. Together we can continue to make a difference in the lives of the animals in our city like Zucchini, now known as Cyrus in his forever home. It takes all of us to save all these lives — our staff, our volunteers, our veterinarians. We couldn’t do it without you. Again, many thanks.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Clovis Police found cat bound with electrical tape in January; today, he’s been with his new family for 6 months."