‘Paralyzed’ kitten rescued from river regains use of his back legs

By Fiona Jackson via SWNS

A kitten who was rescued by a fisherwoman after being thrown into a river because it was "paralyzed" has now regained use of its back legs.

Men reportedly tried to drown the lame kitten, named Finn, but Laura Walker, 18, has since managed to teach him how to walk.

"He's doing so great, he's growing and just walking better every day," saidLaura, from Cassville, Wisconsin.

"He just purred the whole time, he's so loving, he was so happy that he was saved."

Laura's mom Kandy Krohn added: "I cannot believe anyone would ever do that to him, an animal.

"We just cringe when we think about what he went through, just to be thrown away like a piece of garbage."

On July 5, Laura was fishing in the Mississippi River when she said she saw two younger men throw something from a hill above the water, which at first she thought was a rock.

The forestry student then noticed a tiny cat frantically meowing and paddling towards her.

"I was just astonished, I was so scared and he was just swimming towards me," she said.

"I didn’t know what to do so I just reached out and grabbed him. I had to hold him in my shirt until my parents came and got him."

She scooped tiny Finn, who was only six weeks old, out the water before calling her mom Kandy, 44, for help.

They met up at Riverside Park armed with towels to dry off the little kitten.

Laura asked a nearby fisherman whether he could identify either of the men that had thrown the cat into the river.

After they went home, she called the Grant County Sheriff’s Office to report what she had seen and the assumed identity of one of the culprits.

It wasn’t until then that the family noticed that there was something wrong with their new pet.

"We set him on the ground and both his legs were just limp, he was pulling himself along with his front paws," Laura said.

"It was very sad, we thought he was injured by the people that threw him. It seemed like he was almost starved, he was very hungry."

Laura took Finn to the vets where he was diagnosed with having two fractures in his spine, making him unable to walk on his back feet, but not permanently paralyzed.

"Within two weeks we were able to teach him how to walk," saidLaura, a student at University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

"Now he has a little sway in his walk it's very cute."

He slowly regained strength in his back legs, with the help of the Walker family's other cats – Thomas, Panther and Littles.

Brandon Klein, 19, was charged with mistreatment of animals, and his case is being referred to the District Attorney’s office.

According to Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Klein intended to kill the kitten because he believed its rear legs were paralyzed.

However, at six months old, Finn is now fully mobile, although he is a permanent indoor cat.

He was named as such because, despite his injuries, he was such a strong swimmer in the turbulent Mississippi River.

He even has an ‘M’ shaped marking on his forehead.

"So much good can come out of such a horrible situation," said factoryworker Kandy.

"Everybody sees the horrid part in all of it, but the ending is a happy one."

Laura set up a Facebook page for Finn to help share his story, and to help promote a GoFundMe she set up to help pay for his vet bills.

He now has over 1,200 adoring fans who receive regular updates as to how he’s doing.

"I can't believe it, it's just amazing how far his story has reached," saidMom-of-two Kandy.

"I tell him and he just kind of walks around like he's famous.

"We just get butterflies every time, every time we look at him we think of just how amazing he is and how far he's come."

You can follow Finn’s recovery on his Facebook page ‘For The Love of Finn.'