CODY, Wyo. - Popsicle came to Park County Animal Shelter in Cody, Wyoming about two months ago with injuries all over her body. Employees at the shelter didn’t think she would make it but with their help, and the help of the community, Popsicle has made a full recovery and is now even TikTok famous.
At first glance, Popsicle looks like any other kitten, but that wasn't the case just a couple of months ago.
“All four of her paws up to, kind of like where your wrist joint is, was completely frostbit,” said Jessy Farnworth, a lead canine attendant at the Park County Animal Shelter on Sunday.
Popsicle was brought to the shelter by a family in February with so many injuries that she was barely alive.
“What we’re thinking, kind of like the timeline and her injuries, that she might have gotten hit on the road over in Burlington and somehow crawled over to the folk's home,” Farnworth said.
Farnworth is also Popsicle’s foster mom. She said the kitten’s ears were frostbitten all the way down to her skull.
“Her tail and her lip had been hurt from getting hit by the vehicle, so they had to amputate her tail and reattach her lip to her jaw,” said Farnworth.
That’s when Farnworth and the team at the shelter sent out a call for help.
“We put it out there that we had her, that we were needing donations. From that Facebook post we got over $6000 in donations,” Farnworth said.
Those donations paid for Popsicle’s two surgeries, her wheelchair, her vaccinations, and much more. But the kitten captured hearts on another social media platform as well, and that’s TikTok.
“I mean normally videos get maybe a few thousand views and whatnot and we’re over 90,000 views on TikTok for the main video we did for her,” said Farnworth.
Though many may be interested in adopting the social media sensation, she’ll leave for her forever home on Monday.
“She’s going to be going home to her mama down to Dubois and going to be living a well-loved life,” Farnworth said.
Farnworth said she’s sad Popsicle is leaving but said she’s grateful that she was a part of the kitten’s recovery.
“I’m going to be a wreck afterwards, a crying mess, like any normal foster parent would be. But knowing that I got her through to where she’s going to now, it just makes me happy,” said Farnworth.
The Park County Animal Shelter is a nonprofit organization and is one of the few no-kill shelters in Wyoming. Farnworth said they’re always in need of donations, like animal food, treats, cleaning supplies, and litter. You can visit their website to make a monetary donation or to learn more about the organization.
