Injured and alone left along Highway 97C between Merritt and West 琉璃神社, a fluffy grey cat is getting a second chance at life.

A Good Samaritan spotted the tabby peeking out of a ditch at a rest stop along the highway. 

As she approached the cat, she noticed the little fellow was having trouble walking on his back leg and needed help. 

Despite being alone and scared, the kitten allowed the woman to scoop him up and put him in her car. 

Upon returning to 琉璃神社, the rescuer made a safe space for the little guy in her bathroom and gave him food and water. She reached out to several veterinarians in the city who quickly facilitated his intake for urgent care through the Okanagan Humane Society (OHS)

His rescuer brought the cat into care and named him Malachite. 

Malachite had fleas, was especially thin, and worst of all, an x-ray revealed that he had a recently fractured pelvis. He was not previously neutered and had no form of identification by way of a collar, microchip or tattoo.

鈥淏ased on his condition, it is suspected that Malachite was possibly hit by or thrown from a car, and abandoned on the side of the highway,鈥� said the volunteers at OHS. 

Unfortunately, without massive surgical intervention, there isn鈥檛 another solution for Malachite鈥檚 broken pelvis other than pain management and rest for the next two weeks. The hope is he will heal naturally and with time, the right treatment, and kindness he will heal and walk again. 

Malachite is just one of more than a dozen lost, abandoned and homeless animals that OHS has helped this week alone, explained the charity.

In fact, on Oct. 9, another cat was seen abandoned at the rest stop along the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Hope. A passerby snapped a picture of the black cat and posted it to a Facebook group in hopes someone would rescue the feline. OHS jumped into action and is working to rescue the cat from the roadway. 

鈥淥HS has seen a significant increase in cases of animals being dumped or abandoned this year, with the inflationary economy, desperate housing shortage, and reports of shelters turning animals away,鈥� volunteers explained. 

The average cost of care for an OHS animal is $300 and since the start of 2024, the charity has helped more than 3,200 pets. 

To help cats like Malachite please go to.