Cat Shot Through the Head with Arrow Is Named Cupid as He Recovers From Surgery

A cat who miraculously survived an arrow through the head has been named Cupid by his rescuers.

The orange tabby was first found by a rescue partner of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington in Virginia on Valentine’s Day, according to the organization. The feline — believed to have been shot more than a week ago — was discovered on a porch and was quickly rushed to a veterinary clinic where he was given pain medication.

Animal Welfare League of Arlington said they took him in after its rescue partner could not pay for the surgery needed to remove the arrow.

“How could we say no? As soon as we saw his photos, we knew we had to step up and see if we could save his life,” the shelter wrote on Facebook on Sunday. “He was transported to AWLA yesterday, and then rushed over to an emergency vet for pain medication, x-rays, and overnight care.”

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The post continues, “This morning, our vet team picked him up and prepped him for surgery right away. Despite the immense amount of discomfort and pain he must have been in, he started to purr every time someone talked to him, making biscuits and asking for chin scratches. It was then that we decided to name him Cupid.”

The arrow luckily did not penetrate any major organs or arteries the cat despite passing through the right side of his head onto his shoulder blade, according to the animal rescue. However, Cupid did suffer a serious infection from his wound that veterinarians were able to clean out.

Cupid has also been neutered and put on two different antibiotics to help with his infection.

In another Facebook post shared on Monday, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington said Cupid had been “doing really well” following his surgery.

“He has a good appetite, is getting lots of rest and just wants to spend as much time as possible snuggling with our staff,” the rescue said. “We are not accepting/considering adoption applications at this time as Cupid still has a long road to recovery, but we will make sure to keep you all appraised of his progress.”

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The shelter, who was initially hoping to raise $6,500 to cover Cupid’s medical costs, has since received $65,000 in donations after sharing the feline’s story on social media.

The animal rescue has also set up an Instagram account — aptly named “Saving Cupid” — to update followers on the cat’s road to recovery.

“Cupid continues to do well today and is switching between naps, snacks, and snuggles,” Animal Welfare League of Arlington wrote on Facebook Tuesday. “We are so, so, SO grateful to everyone out there who has supported and/or donated because of Cupid…we are completely overwhelmed by your generosity and could not be happier to be a part of this community. THANK YOU!”