The 8-week-old kitten that someone severely burned recently in Cleveland, Tenn., died Sunday, according to veterinarian Todd Dolen.
"I was shocked when she passed away," said Dolen, who had been caring for the kitten since it was brought into his office this month with burns covering 90 percent of its body.
Officials with the Cleveland Police Department said the kitten's burns and injuries were the result of intentional harm.
Dolen, a veterinarian at Animal Aid in Athens, Tenn., and his co-workers named the kitten Katniss, and spent more than $700 on her care.
Katniss needed several skin grafts, and eight days after being brought into the clinic was determined to be strong enough for surgery to amputate the tips of her ears and back leg, Dolen said.
Contributed photo from the Justice for Katniss Facebook page."Katniss slept in the bed with me at night so I could be aware if anything was wrong," Dolen said. "During the day she came to the office and my staff helped care for her."
On Friday evening, the kitten's health began to deteriorate and Dolen rushed her to the clinic and gave her a feeding tube to allow her to receive more protein.
She was battling sepsis, Dolen said, which is caused by an infection in the bloodstream.
By Sunday morning, Dolen saw an improvement in Katniss' health and reported she was purring. He left her alone for a few minutes, and when he came back to check on her he found "she had passed peacefully."
The Cleveland Police Department has been investigating the case, and a reward of about $1,000 is offered to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6592.