09/03/2026
🥋 KARATE NEEDS US. ❤️🩹
And before you look at that sweet little face and think she looks innocent… her name is Karate for a reason. 😂
Karate is a feral/community cat I trapped and TNR’d about 5–6 years ago in my old neighborhood. When I moved, my son stayed in the house and continued feeding the community cats, so Karate has continued showing up for meals and living her best child-free outdoor life.
Until recently.
My son noticed Karate disappeared for about a week. When she finally came back, she was limping badly.
Something had gotten ahold of her, and her foot was mangled. 😭
We got her to Pet Resource Center Spartanburg County, where Dr. Dowdy anesthetized her, thoroughly examined the injury and took X-rays.
Considering what her foot looks like, we got some AMAZING news:
🙌 NOTHING IS BROKEN.
🐾 SHE STILL HAS ALL OF HER TOES.
Her foot is severely degloved, meaning there is significant loss of skin and soft tissue. There is some concern that she may have the beginning of a bone infection, but she has received antibiotics and we’re going to be monitoring her very closely.
For a foot that looks this awful, we actually have a lot to be hopeful about.
Now comes the hard part: wound care, healing and convincing a feral cat that all of these humans messing with her foot are actually trying to help her. 😅
Thankfully, Karate is going into the care of Brianna — our co-director, resident wound specialist and Stanley’s mom. If you followed Stanley’s recovery, you already know Brianna has earned her unofficial wound-care degree approximately 47 times over. 😂❤️🩹
We also learned today that Karate is FIV positive.
And around here?
That is not a big deal. ❤️
FIV does not mean she can’t have a good life, and it certainly doesn’t change what we’re willing to do for her.
Since Karate was already anesthetized, we also got some overdue preventative care handled. She received her 3-year rabies vaccine and her second FVRCP.
Her first FVRCP?
Five or six years ago when I originally TNR’d her. 😂
Which brings me to something pretty incredible.
This girl has been CHILD-FREE for 5–6 YEARS. 💅🥋
Karate has never had a litter.
Think about that.
How many litters could one intact female cat have produced over the last 5–6 years?
Then how many kittens could those kittens have produced?
Instead, one trap and one spay surgery years ago meant Karate has spent all this time simply being Karate — eating her Friskies, avoiding humans and contributing exactly:
ZERO KITTENS.
That is why we trap.
That is why we spay and neuter.
That is why TNR matters. ❤️
Today we’re getting to help the exact same cat we helped all those years ago.
A HUGE thank-you to Spartanburg PRC and Dr. Dowdy for taking care of our spicy girl today and giving this foot a fighting chance. ❤️🩹
Karate has also lost a significant amount of weight, and her coat is looking pretty rough after whatever she’s been through.
Fortunately, she has made her recovery diet preferences very clear:
FRISKIES. 😂
Nothing fancy. No Michelin stars required. The woman wants Friskies.
❤️ If you’d like to help Karate recover, our donation and wishlist links will be in the comments. Friskies donations are especially appreciated because we need to get some groceries into this skinny girl!
⚠️ Her foot is extremely graphic, so I am NOT putting those pictures in the main post. I’ll put the injury photos in the comments for anyone who wants to see exactly what Karate is recovering from.
Every comment, reaction and share also helps more people see Karate’s story — and, more importantly, helps us show people what one TNR surgery can accomplish years down the road.
Now heal that foot, Karate. 🥋🐾❤️🩹
