Cat loses leg due to snake bite

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Little Zorie the cat is trying to get used to life with just three paws. Rachel Pryor says Zorie's front left leg had to be amputated after a run in with a nasty snake.

"She went out Thursday, came in limping that night," says Pryor.

She says the four-year-old feline is a hunter, and every now and then, she comes home with battle wounds, but this time, Zorie didn't get better.

"It was just a little bite chunk mark, tiny little bite chunk mark out of her leg," she says.

They took her to the vet.

"They said that the infection was deep inside her leg, so they put a drain in and said, 'Oh my goodness!' When they shaved her, they found all these puncture marks in her armpits, multiple puncture wounds."

The vet sent her home with some meds, but she got worse. Zorie's temperature reached 105 degrees.

"Over time, her skin started dying around the bite marks. Apparently the snake venom does that and the muscles were atrophying. The vet decided he had to amputate Zorie's leg."

She says the vet told her Zorie definitely went head to head with a snake.

"Only two snakes do multiple bites like that: the pygmy rattler and the water moccasin. Most strike and leave. These two don't."

Losing her paw likely saved Zorie's life.

"Would have gone up to her organs... definitely would have killed her."

She has a warning for other pet parents.

"Just be mindful of any kinds of wounds on them and check daily and if there are wounds watch them closely to make sure they don't get any worse like that."