They don't know how he was hurt, they just know the extent of his injuries.
On January 23, a severely injured male cat was turned in to the Humboldt and District SPCA (HDSPCA). A man travelling the highway by Muenster found him on the side of the road, and when he saw he was hurt, took him to the animal shelter for help, reported Wanda Price of the HDSPCA.
The volunteers at the shelter could see the side of the cat's face was injured, and so took him right over to the veterinarians at the Animal Health Clinic of Humboldt.
The extent of his injuries was severe.
The cat, who is believed to be just about a year old, had cuts all over one side of his face, and large sores on the back of his head. His lip was torn, and he has a broken tooth. There were injuries to his back legs, and he needed surgery on his paws - his front claws were all broken and bleeding, and one was actually pushed into his paw and had to be surgically removed.
Despite all his injuries, however, he is recovering. He's even able to eat some soft food, despite his broken tooth.
Just what he went through, how he became so injured, is something that remains a mystery to both the staff at the vet's office, and to the HDSPCA.
"It's like he was caught in something, and was digging his way out," Price said when referring to his broken claws.
Though the injuries to his face and head could have been caused by the motor of a vehicle - when it's cold, cats have a tendency to crawl in and sit on a warm motor, and then become injured when the motor is started - that would not account for the broken claws.
Nor does Price believe he was attacked by another animal, like a coyote. That would have left him in far worse shape, she believes.
His injuries just don't add up.
One thing they do know, however, is that he is someone's pet, due to his friendly nature.
"He's such a nice cat," Price said.
Once he has healed, the HDSPCA is hoping to place this cat, whom they have named Felix, as it means lucky and happy, into a new home.
He will be up for adoption when he recovers.
The HDSPCA is now fundraising to pay his vet bill. Though they still have to receive the final bill, donations have already come in from their dedicated volunteers, Price indicated. But they will likely need more donations to completely cover the cost.
But Felix isn't the only cat at the shelter who has been turned in in rough shape recently.
Two other cats, now named Scooter and Cabo, were found and brought to the animal shelter suffering from the effects of the cold that hit the region in mid-January.
Scooter was also found on the side of the road, right in Muenster, by a woman on her way to work. Though he was not moving, he was still alive, and after a few minutes in the warm car, started to come around.
She brought him to the shelter, where he is still recovering.
According to Price, he will likely lose part of his tail, as it was frozen, and the skin on his paw has blistered from the cold, which makes it painful for him to walk.
Scooter was already neutered when they found him, and he is also very friendly, so he is clearly someone's pet.
The same can be said for Cabo - another friendly cat who was found under a deck in Humboldt and turned into the shelter.
From being left out in the cold, the cat's nose and the tip of his ear were frozen.
Both Scooter and Cabo are being treated for their injuries at the shelter.
Every winter, they see cats suffering from the effects of being left out in the cold. However, this year, even though temperatures only dropped to incredibly cold for a few days, the injuries seem to be extreme.
"Usually, it's just the ears, not the paws," said Price.
Price wants to remind pet owners that when it gets cold, pets need to be inside, too.
Information on how to care for your cats and dogs in the winter is available everywhere, she said.
