A Cat With Purple Paws Needs Your Help – Transport It To The Nearest Shelter To Prevent Its Use As Bait

Cats with lavender paws are not making a fashion statement or accidentally getting into some lavender markers or paint.

The shade on their paws and white patches of fur signifies that they have been color-coded as bait in dogfighting – and they urgently need to be rescued.

It is not just the color lavender either. When a cat is held as bait in a dogfighting ring, the white parts of its fur could be any vibrant color: orange, lavender, green. The color serves as an identification for each individual cat, making it easier for spectators to place bets on the sequence in which the cats will die.

It is sickening that anyone could find amusement in the torment and slaughter of innocent animals.

A feline with lavender paws managed to survive and escape from its ruthless captors. It was rescued by Clewiston Animal Control in Florida and given the name Mr. Lavender Paws.

Clewiston Animal Control then transferred him to Naples Cat Alliance that same evening.

Megan Sorbara, one of the founders of Naples Cat Alliance, immediately recognized the sinister reason behind Mr. Lavender Paws’ name upon seeing him. The dash of color on the white sections of his fur indicated that he had been marked in a dogfighting ring. Miraculously, he was able to flee.

“Dog fighters use markers to color the white parts of cats and kittens so they can wager on which color will succumb first,” she posted on Facebook. “They are ‘color-coded’ and then thrown to packs of dogs, while these sick barbarians place their bets. This is cruelty at its worst. It appears that Mr. Lavender Paws was able to escape before entering the ring.”

Fortunately, Mr. Lavender Paws appeared to be in good health. He was also affectionate and kind towards the staff.

“I consider myself relatively desensitized to a lot of things. I have dealt with numerous injured, starved, neglected, and abused animals,” Sorbara wrote on Facebook, “but this one really affected me. By all accounts, he looks healthy – great weight, nice coat – but the lavender paws tell the tale.”

How he managed to escape is a mystery.

“Someone must have left a door open, or perhaps he got away during transport while they were heading to their clandestine fights in the dead of night,” Sorbara informed The Dodo.

Luckily, animal control found him before his captors could snatch him back.

“I can only hope that more were able to escape,” Sorbara wrote, “but my genuine hope is that the perpetrators of this atrocious ‘sport’ are apprehended and prosecuted.”

Despite his life taking an unexpected turn, Mr. Lavender Paws remains sweet, playful, gentle, and friendly. He enjoys giving head boops.

“He’s just so delightful, rolling over on his back and giving nuzzles — simply charming,” Sorbara stated to The Dodo. “He doesn’t have a worry in the world. He’s Mr. Content. He was playing with playthings in his cage last night. You can effortlessly lift him up, carry him around on your shoulder — he enjoys being embraced.”

People reacted passionately to the post on social media.

“Anyone involved with any kind of animal fighting needs to be imprisoned for the remainder of their lives,” one user stated. “They relish the blood-sport of observing animals in agony and suffering and being completely terrified and striving for their lives. How dare they harm these unfortunate blameless animals! This is sickening, barbarous, and barbaric.”

 

• A good bath allowed some of the hue to fade from the rescued feline’s paws, but the purple was still evident a week later when he was (joyfully!) adopted.
• Dog fighting is a nauseating practice that harms not only canines, but the small animals like felines, kittens, and rabbits used as bait. It must come to an end!