Pay the Piper-cat in need of surgery

Piper, the resident cat at Tucked Away gift shop in downtown Bonners Ferry, is in need of surgery.

A fund drive is under way for separate operations for the friendly female Siamese-mix. Surgeries to prevent Piper’s rear knee caps from popping will cost up to $2,000.

 So far, store owners Helen Chase and daughter, Stephanie Chase, have received $435 from the feline’s fans and Tucked Away customers.

The Chases took in Piper as a stray mother cat with five kittens. They looked at the kittens, but preferred Piper.

“We thought we would adopt her for the shop,” said Stephanie Chase, who has six cats at home.

Late last year, Piper began falling when she was walking.

“Her knee caps on both legs shift out of joint and her legs would come out of their sockets,” Chase said. “She’d screech and screech until they would pop back in.”

They took Piper to the veterinarian, who put the cat on an anti-inflammatory. Today, she remains on glucosamine, a natural compound that is found in healthy cartilage.

The surgery would stabilize the knee caps. The minimum cost per leg is $728. Only one leg can be operated on at a time, Chase said.

People have been generous.

“They see her in the window,” she said. “She’s like a little icon for Bonners Ferry.”

Donations can be made at Tucked Away at 7174 Main St.