Cat doused in boiling water responding well at North Side shelter

A cat that had boiling water poured on it two weeks ago by a South Side man is responding well to treatment and “eating like a champ,” according to the North Side shelter where he is recovering.

Leon Teague, 18, was charged with felony animal torture and misdemeanor depiction of animal cruelty after he poured boiling water over the cat, filmed the attack and posted it to Facebook, authorities said.

“The cat … ran from one end of the porch to the other screaming in pain,” Teague’s police report said. He remains in the Cook County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

Authorities who came to Teague’s apartment last week saw the scalded black and white cat in the backyard of the building in the 6900 block of South King Drive.

The cat, Driver, was recovered and has been undergoing treatment at the Felines & Canines shelter at 6379 N. Paulina St.

“He’s comfortable, receiving laser and hydrotherapy, and responding well, and eating like a champ,” shelter executive director Abby Smith said Wednesday.

Driver will eventually be moved from the vet’s office to the shelter, where he will be put up for adoption.

The cat’s medications cost between $80-$100 per day,

The shelter is soliciting donations for Driver’s care, which includes medications that cost up to $100 a day.

“People have been very generous, though a few fake GoFundMe pages have cropped up. Luckily, they have been removed,” Smith said.

Anyone who would like to donate funds for treatment and care can call (77) 465-4132 or visit www.felinescanines.org.