His Owner Passed Away, He Was Left To Fend For Himself Outside

BRANFORD, CT — His owner passed away, and he was abandoned outdoors in bitter cold. Fortunately, a good Samaritan contacted the Branford Compassion Club.

Now, the cat with two eye colors, and fortitude, is safe and being cared for. Though, the outcome could have been much different. Thankfully not.

Katherine Deoss, a BCC volunteer, was on her way to take him to the vet to be checked out when Patch contacted her.

"He'd been vomiting plant matter and our hearts are broken for what he's been through to survive," Deoss wrote on Facebook. "We named him Merlin because it takes some kind of magic to make it through in this bitter cold."

Good news, he's doing well. Which sadly is too often not the case when pets are abandoned outdoors, and most especially in winter. But in this case, his owner died. It's not clear by whom, and how, he was abandoned.

"We ask all our adopters to have a contingency plan, a back-up adopter, for example, to avoid situations like this as well," Doess said. "Life happens, and it’s important for people to really understand that (pet ownership) can be a 20-year commitment."