Cat Named 'Miracle' Survives On Toilet Water, Leftovers After Being Abandoned

A cat in Japan has defied the odds by surviving for a month in the scorching summer heat after the owner abandoned her in a flat. The cat, now named 'Miracle', survived by drinking water from the toilet and eating leftover food, according to a report in South China Morning Post.

Animal Rescue Tanpopo, a non-profit organisation working for animal protection, found Miracle in an empty flat where the floor was covered with alcohol cans, rubbish and leftover food. Chiaki Honda, leading the NGO, said she thought the cat was dead when the rescue workers discovered her beside the toilet.

However, after realising the cat had only passed out, the workers immediately took it to the hospital where Miracle managed to recover, courtesy of meticulous care from the staffers. As per the report, Miracle was extremely aggressive in the beginning, which suggested that the owners had abused her before leaving her to die.

As per Ms Honda, Miracle may have suffered brain damage and showed symptoms such as circling around and an inability to balance.

The police were involved and managed to arrest Miracle's former owner, a 27-year-old woman, on February 3. The accused confessed to leaving Miracle in the rented flat, which she fled without notifying the property owner.

While Miracle was inside without cat food and water, the temperatures reached upwards of 40 degrees Celsius making the flat almost furnace-like, as per the animal rescue workers.

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Animal abuse

Since 2010, the National Police Agency has released data on animal cruelty cases. Of the 181 cases investigated by police in 2023, 97 involved cats and 65 involved dogs -- nearly 90 per cent of all cases.

Of these cases involving cats and dogs, 64 were for abandonment, followed by 57 cases of abuse including neglect, such as by lack of food or unsanitary living conditions, and 41 cases of intentional harm or killing.

According to Japan's animal cruelty laws, an individual found abusing or abandoning a pet animal is liable to imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of one million yen (Rs 5.7 lakh).