Starving Cat In Snowbank Saved By Good Samaritan In Manville

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Camper is one lucky kitty as he is now warm, fed, and recovering after essentially being left for dead in a snowbank in Manville.

A Good Samaritan found the elderly cat weighing only 3 pounds in a snowbank off Camplain Road in Manville last Saturday, said Somerset Regional Animal Shelter Director Brian Bradshaw.

"He was in really bad shape. He wasn't able to walk. He looked like he was dead," said Bradshaw. "His ears were infected, his skin was infected."

The animal shelter took the cat immediately to a vet and found he was more than 10 years old.

"He was so cold he couldn't eat. We had to warm him up to feed him," said Bradshaw.

Bradshaw suspects the cat belonged to someone at some point because he is very friendly.

"It looks like he was out there for a while. Maybe someone lost him and stopped searching for him," said Bradshaw.

The shelter named him Camper since he seemed to be "camping outside" for a while and also because he was found on Camplain Lane.

Six days later Camper is doing much better. He is eating and recovering. Once he is well enough, he will be put up for adoption.

Bradshaw wants to remind residents to "take care of your pets, especially in the cold weather. If you see pets outside make sure to call animal control and make sure your own pets don't get out."

Pet owners are also encouraged to have their cats and dogs microchipped with a collar.

Bradshaw noted the shelter has also recently taken in 35 cats in the past week from multiple locations including a hoarding incident in Ocean County.

The shelter, which is a nonprofit organization, is always in need of donations to help care for Camper and other pets at the shelter.

Community members can contribute by purchasing supplies from the shelter's Amazon Wishlist or to make a monetary donation visit srasnj.org/donate.

The shelter is located at 100 Commons Way in Bridgewater.

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