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Furry Tails: Kitten Found Near Death, Rescued From Roadside

McMURRAY (KDKA) -- Some teenagers are being credited with rescuing a kitten, abandoned and near death, from a roadside in West Virginia.

The 6-week-old kitten, named Fur Ball, is now being treated at University Veterinary Specialists in McMurray.

furball-kitten
(Source: University Veterinary Specialists)

Veterinarians say the little cat was brought to them on Aug. 2. He was severely malnourished and had a heart rate of just 10 beats per minute.

He was given a blood transfusion through the facility's Community Blood Bank, which is run by volunteers.

The blood bank's manager says the transfusion likely helped save Fur Ball's life. The kitten has a rare blood type, and the facility had a donor on hand to do the procedure quickly. Otherwise, the blood would have had to have been ordered and shipped overnight.

Emergency and Critical Care Specialist Dr. Anne Stoneham said in a press release: "Fur Ball needed CPR and intensive care just to keep him with us. After five days, and care by several of our doctors, he finally started to stabilize and eat on his own."

Vets say Fur Ball has a long road to recovery, but he is being helped by the teens that rescued him. They come to visit him every other day.
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Stay tuned animal lovers for more Furry Tails! You can follow me on Twitter at @HeatherLang24

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