Cat McAuliffe
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When Meagan Licari, president of Puppy Kitty NYC (PKNYC), met Figaro for the first time, he was at an emergency animal hospital where he was being treated for severe facial trauma. “He was so tiny and was missing basically half of his face,” says Meagan. “It brought me to tears to see this little guy with such horrible injuries.”
Figaro, who was born on the streets of New York City in early 2019, had already sustained the wounds to face when he was found by a small rescue organization that reached out to Puppy Kitty NYC for help. “He was extremely scared and borderline feral,” remembers Meagan, but she was determined to get Figaro the care he needed.
While the veterinarians couldn’t say for certain how Figaro got the injuries to his face, they theorized that he may have been attacked by another animal — such as a racoon or a large cat — or he bit into a live wire.
To fix the extensive damage to his face, Figaro underwent two reconstructive surgeries, and he also had most of his teeth removed from one side of his mouth. “He spent about a month in the hospital after his initial rescue and then three days for his second surgery,” explains Meagan.
During his time in the hospital, Figaro — who was initially very wary of people — allowed the veterinary staff and Meagan to pet him, helping him go from a frightened kitten into a friendly cat. When Figaro was finally discharged on February 10, 2019, he was much healthier and happier than when Meagan met him for the first time, allowing her to bring him to her home in Queens as a foster kitten. “He then was crated for two weeks with an E-collar,” says Meagan.
Four months later, this 6-month-old feline is doing well, although he doesn’t like having his face cleaned, which Meagan has to do regularly to remove build-up from Figaro’s nasal cavity. “He also hates being medicated because his beginning stages of life were all doctors and medicine,” says Meagan.
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In addition to his aversion to medication, Figaro has anxiety, which causes him to over groom, but Meagan is working diligently to help this adorable cat cope with his emotional and psychological trauma. Aside from these understandable issues, Figaro is a happy and active kitten, and contrary to what a lot of people might think, he’s not in any pain and he definitely doesn’t have any difficulty eating.
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“He is first to the food bowl and will growl at the other cats,” says Meagan. “He can eat dry and soft food, but we stick to mostly soft. He also loves human food and is always trying to steal it.”
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In addition to eating, Figaro loves to play, he enjoys bird watching from the windowsill, and he adores sleeping on Meagan’s pillow, proving just how far this once semi-feral boy has come in a relatively short period of time. “Figaro is so, so special, and taking care of him has been a true honor,” says Meagan.
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However, this remarkable boy is now available for adoption, and while it might be harder for him to find a forever home than a typical cat, the family who opens their home to Figaro will almost certainly be just as special as this incredible kitty.
“I wish more people would adopt the harder to adopt kitties instead of kittens or purebreds,” says Meagan. Until Figaro finds his forever home, he has a wonderful foster home with Meagan, someone who has worked tirelessly to get him the help he needed and deserved.
“He means the world to me!” says Meagan. “He represents why I rescue and is a testament that rescue works!”
To learn more about this adorable kitten, you can follow Figaro on Instagram.
If you’re interested in adopting Figaro, please contact Puppy Kitty NYC.
