It's a good thing he has nine lives! Meet Prickly Pete, the cat whose curiosity nearly did kill him after he got stuck in a CACTUS

By SNEJANA FARBEROV

Ouch! A domestic orange and white cat was punished for his curiosity with dozens of cactus needles after jumping on the succulent plant

A cat in Arizona is lucky to be alive after getting into an especially thorny situation which has earned him a new nickname – Prickly Pete.
The orange and white one-year-old domestic cat became stuck in a cactus in Phoenix Wednesday afternoon, setting off a dramatic rescue operation.
Arizona Humane Society’s Emergency Animal Technicians received a call about a cat that got caught on the spiky succulent near 19th Avenue and the appropriately named Cactus Road.

Thorny business: It took veterinarians two long hours to remove the cactus pods from the muzzle, eyelids and mouth of the kitty now known to all as Prickly Pete

Before rescuers arrived on the scene, the kitty somehow managed to free himself from his thorny trap and ran off, according to AZFamily.com.
But the EMTs spotted cactus pods leading away from the scene. They followed the prickly trail in hopes of locating the cat, which they suspected was hurt, only to discover that the unfortunate animal got stuck again, this time on a fence.

Medical care: After having all of the needles removed, Pete was put on pain medication and antibiotics to prevent infection

The cat bristling with cactus needles was rushed to the Humane Society’s Second Chance Animal Hospital, where veterinarians spent two hours carefully removing sharp spikes from his muzzle, eyelids and mouth.
The feline, who has been rechristened Prickly Pete by the EMTs after his adventure, will remain on pain medications and antibiotics in order to prevent infection.

Canine cactus lover: A puppy nicknamed Cactus Jack got stuck in a prickly succulent plant earlier this year, left, after after having the needles removed, right, he was put up for adoption

Humane Society officials are now trying to locate the cat's owner. If no one claims Pete within 72 hours, and if the kitty gets a clean bill of health, he will be offered for adoption.
‘I think a bird could have lured him in there. I think they have fun, they start pouncing around and before they know it they're in this predicament,’ Bretta Nelson, spokesperson for the AHS, told ABC15.
And it's not just cats that apparently find succulent plants simply irresistible. Pete’s story of prickly predicament is reminiscent to that a puppy who was found stuck to a cactus in Arizona earlier this year.

source: dailymail