DUBAI // A cat scalded with what appeared to be hot oil is ready to be rehomed, one of its rescuers said.
Nataliya Kartavenko, from Ukraine, said eight-month-old Yanik, formerly named Yarik, who has been at Zabeel Veterinary Hospital in Dubai for about two months, has had a skin graft and been neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.
“He’s doing very well and he has no issues, except that he lost his ears but he can still hear normally,” she said.
Yanik had tested negative for Fiv (feline immunodeficiency virus] and Felv (feline leukaemia virus).
“He still needs to stay at the hospital for a little while longer until his skin fully heals. There are no more stitches, but they’re still applying antibiotic spray,” she said.
“We already have some people interested in adopting him but it’s a long process because we need to make sure that he’s going to the right home.”
Yanik was found in January near the home of Anna Aydin, 26, and her husband, Halil Emrah, 30, in the Al Khan neighbourhood of Sharjah.
The couple took the cat, which was believed to be a few months old, to Zabeel, where vets said he looked like had been scalded.
“We cannot know for sure how the cat sustained these injuries but it looks like it was hot oil,” said Dr Stanislav Vyrva.
Ms Kartavenko said that she needed to make sure adopters had the time and means to take care of the cat.
“There are a lot of kind people with good hearts but we need to make sure that they are up to the task and are financially able to take care of him,” she said.
“He is an extremely friendly and calm cat, but it’s not as simple as calling and saying you want to take the cat.”
Ms Kartavenko said she would also consider sending Yanik abroad, something she had done with other rescues.
Yanik is scheduled to be discharged and ready to be adopted on Thursday but he will need a booster vaccination on April 3.
Those interested in adopting him can email Ms Kartavenko on dxbsunset@yahoo.com.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
