Kitten’s journey to recovery after he was found in vat of glue

Titan was given his name because he was “so tough and resilient to survive what he did”.

The then weeks-old kitten was found in a vat of industrial glue at Clontarf, just north of Brisbane, clinging to the side with his head sticking out.

He was rushed to Eatons Hill Veterinary Surgery, where he underwent weeks of rehabilitation before being adopted out.

Veterinarian and practice owner Dr Allen O’Grady vividly remembers Titan arriving at the practice.

“A fella brought him in. We cleaned him up and sedated him and shaved him as best we could. Some of the matted fur came off and there was sort of raw skin underneath.

“He was pretty flat. He had fluids, antibiotics. It took a lot of rehabilitation to get him up.”

After the practice shared a post on social media about Titan, he became a viral sensation and gained fans from all over the world who barracked for him to recover.

“A lady from Ireland posted him over some toys to pass on to the people who adopted him.”

When the Hamilton family took Titan in, they didn’t know what they were going to get. But they were focused on providing him with a loving, safe environment.

“With an adult cat, you know what personality you’re getting,” his new mum said. “Kittens are cute, but then it’s potluck. You don’t know if you’re gonna get a cuddler, or not. This one seems to be a mix of both. He’s cuddly when he’s in the mood.

“When we first met him, he was very, very timid. They said to us ‘he’s probably always going to be a little bit traumatised’. But he’s very cheeky, he’s extremely mischievous. Very smart too, you can see the wheels turning in his head all the time.”

Titan’s now grown from that small timid kitten to a large boisterous one.

“I call him a little bobblehead because he’s just a tiny little body and a big head with flappy ears. His body is definitely growing into his big ears. He’s got big paws, so he could be quite a large cat by the time he’s finished [growing].”

As his new mum speaks, he races up and down the kitchen with his favourite soccer ball toy.

“He’s got very good ball skills. My son’s a soccer player, so he was very pleased to see that. He’s just obsessed with it.”

The Hamiltons were looking for an older rescue cat, after the family was gutted by the loss of their elderly rescue.

“We were keen to get another rescue cat because we’re very much aware that a lot of rescue cats need homes. And then my daughter saw the post about Titan. She said ‘when they put him up for adoption can we put in an application?’ and I said ‘yeah, sure’, not thinking we’d get him.”

The family was shocked, to say the least, when they were contacted by the practice to set up a meeting.

“If we hadn’t got [Titan] we would’ve been more than happy to adopt an adult cat. There are a lot of adult cats who need homes. At Christmas, everyone wants a cute little kitten. And that’s completely fine, they’re gorgeous. Initially, they’re not hard work, but you’ve got to be careful with them.”

The Eatons Hill practice looks after 300 to 400 rescue cats every year, with a record 710 cats during the pandemic.

When this masthead walked into the practice, a new rescue had just been dropped off. Six new rescues, in fact.

The litter of kittens was found in the bush at Caboolture and brought in. They were quickly taken downstairs for a flea bath, and are already meeting possible new families.

The practice occasionally adopts out dogs too, and the O’Gradys currently have three rescue dogs themselves.

Their three-legged dog Tinker is now a regular at the practice. She was rescued from a rural pound with a fractured back leg after being hit by a car. Watching her zoom around searching for pats after a swim in the dam, it’s clear being one leg down doesn’t hinder her.

The practice is also home to a rescued macaw named Macca, who sits in the practice’s reception, and rescue turtles in a pond out the front.

Titan may have captured the most hearts online, but he’s just one of many heartbreaking stories O’Grady has seen come through the clinic.

“There’s another little one that was found. Its eyes were all perforated and it was just a scrawny little thing. I was going to put it down, as the other vets were, because it was just an absolute mess.”

But his daughter Shannon asked him to give the cat a go and, after an operation to remove both eyes, Trooper has settled into a new home.

“It’s much loved, one of the family now, even though it’s got no eyes.”

Other animals brought through the practice this year include a kitten named Catillac, who was found trapped inside a box beside a burnt-out car in Zillmere. Another cat, Frankie, was found scared and alone on a platform at Roma Street busway station. Three kittens, Arya, Sansa, and Jon, were brought into the practice after being given away outside markets in Caboolture.

Matilda was rescued from a rural pound with her months-old kittens. She had been found with her front leg torn off and untreated. Puppy Sandy was brought in with scald marks on her face and back from boiling water.

Multiple cats have been brought in from industrial areas at Clontarf, though thankfully none in as bad a condition as Titan. All have been successfully adopted.

The practice does not accept monetary donations, but does accept donations of animal food, toys, and other equipment. Or human food, as occasionally seen on their social media.

Adult cat surrenders are currently closed, and will resume in the new year.

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