Staff writers

REDWOOD CITY — After a little time in front of the camera, the abandoned and abused kitten named Smurf has received a New Year’s gift — love and attention.

Veterinarian Monica Rudiger said Thursday she and her staff at 9 Lives Foundation shelter have received scores of emails and texts and new visitors to their shelter to visit the 8-week-old kitten with the purple coat.

Smurf was profiled in this newspaper and other media outlets on Wednesday. The kitten was found in San Jose and brought to the shelter on Monday with 20 deep, red wounds and his short coat of fur dyed purple.

Rudiger, founder of the Redwood City shelter, believes someone dipped the kitten in a bath of indigo fabric dye.

“I’ve seen a lot of animals used as bait for other animals; it looks to me like he was used as a chew toy,” said Rudiger said. “He obviously wasn’t killed by the dog or whatever animal it was, but he was pretty badly injured.”

Shelter workers called him “Smurf.” After a few days of recovery, he seems to be on the mend, the vet said.

Even with his injuries, Smurf can count himself fortunate.

An anonymous rescuer found the kitten in a box on Monterey Road in San Jose, along with lemon slices and purple rags. The person took the kitten to the San Jose Animal Shelter. The facility contacted 9 Lives, a no-kill shelter dedicated to treating and placing injured or abandoned cats into good homes.

Rudiger had never seen a cat colored with fabric dye in her 16 years of rescue work. The coloring did not come from a medicinal animal treatment, she said.

“I can only imagine why someone would dye him purple,” she said. “I think there are people who find it amusing to take small, innocent animals and use them as play toys.”

Smurf checked in at 1 pound, 10 ounces, with big green eyes and about 20 deep, canine puncture wounds. He ran a temperature of 105 degrees, Rudiger said.

The kitten was a bit defensive but has submitted to several baths, antibiotic treatments and a shave to clear off the damaged fur. His original coat is probably gray or black, she said.

“He’s a strong little guy,” Rudiger said.

The vet isn’t sure if the dye will cause permanent harm, although the other wounds should heal with proper care. Smurf still needs some minor surgery to sew up wounds and another few weeks of convalescence.

Smurf will go up for adoption with a partner cat when he’s healed, Rudiger said.

He likes to snuggle and has already made friends with another shelter kitten called Cherry.

Rudiger said she expects more visitors to the shelter this weekend to see Smurf. She hopes it will bring attention to the problem of animal abuse, noting the shelter recently rescued two other ailing kittens.

“He’s really lucky.”