During a recent raid at a Mexican prison, authorities uncovered a number of shocking discoveries – one of which was a Sphynx cat that had been abused and tattooed with gang symbols. It is believed that gang members may have forcibly restrained the young feline in order to carry out the cruel act. The cat, whose age is estimated to be between one and three years old, was found locked in a cell at the Ciudad Juarez Cereso 3 prison. Unfortunately, there are indications that the tattoos were inflicted without anesthesia, but despite this trauma, the cat remained friendly towards officials. The discovery was made following a large-scale prison break on New Year’s Day.

Recent news reports provided differing information about the condition and age of a particular cat. According to Cesar Rene Diaz, who serves as the ecology director for Juarez, the cat appears to be in excellent health with no signs of infection. Diaz also noted that the cat seems to be quite sociable.

Diego Poggio, the animal welfare chief, stated that the cat had a slight infection in its ear and eye. He further added that the tattoos found on the cat were considered animal abuse as per their regulations since any form of unnecessary marking or mutilation is classified as plain abuse.

Despite its past, the cat remained friendly towards humans, much to the surprise of some. In fact, according to veterinary doctor Giselle Rubio, the cat is rather docile with people, although it does not get along well with other animals. The Sphynx cat, unfortunately, had tattoos on both sides that read “Made in Mexico,” though it originated from Canada and has no connection to Egypt or the Sphinx. After receiving veterinary care from animal rescue workers, the cat was in good health and ready to be adopted into a new home. A video from the New York Post shows Dr. Rubio with the friendly feline.

In February 2023, a Sphynx cat with a tattoo reading “Made in Mexico” was rescued from Cereso 3 prison by police officers. Veterinary doctor Diego Poggio presented the cat to announce its availability for adoption at an animal shelter in Ciudad Juarez. Authorities hoped that the cat would not fall back into the hands of the dangerous gang it may have belonged to. The state government opened adoption applications for the unique feline, and soon after, a family from Texas adopted the cat. The story had many outrageous details, including the cat’s involvement as a smuggled prison gang pet. The cat remained anonymous, but we can only hope that it is being cared for and loved in its new home. The prison break on New Year’s Day left behind other surprising items, such as speakers, barbecues, bulletproof vests, plasma televisions, expensive sneakers, industrial refrigerators, rifles and ammunition, and over a million Mexican pesos in a safe box.

It’s quite surprising that there were no official records of how various items found their way into the prison. It appears that the inmates were thoroughly enjoying themselves until they eventually made a daring escape and left behind a courageous tattooed cat. Thankfully, this decision turned out to be a lifesaver for our feline friend. Check out the video by KTSM 9.