An orange tabby with one eye and parts of both ears missing has 12,700 followers on TikTok. Three years ago, Klaus arrived at a Regina shelter with frostbite damage so severe that surgeons had to remove parts of both ears and most of his tail.
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Frostbite Injuries and Surgery
Klaus came to the Regina Humane Society in January 2023 after spending approximately two weeks outside when temperatures hit minus 40 degrees Celsius. The shelter handles more than 4,000 animals annually.
His left eye needed immediate removal. Jasmine Haughey, 33, who adopted the rescue cat later that month, said veterinarians suspected he got into a fight with another animal before reaching the shelter.
“His eye had essentially exploded in his head,” Jasmine said. “The veterinarian suspected that he had gotten into a fight with another animal and it got scratched and then severely infected.”
Surgeons also removed frostbitten tissue from both ears and his tail. VCA Animal Hospitals notes frostbite damage can take seven to ten days to fully appear, with affected tissue turning dark blue or black before falling off.
How the Adoption Happened
Jasmine’s massage therapist told her about a rescue cat at the shelter. She looked at Klaus’s photo.
“My husband said it was my decision, and the second I heard that I got on the phone with the shelter to give them my credit card information for the adoption fee and we were on our way,” Jasmine told Newsweek.
When Jasmine and her husband Jordan arrived, Klaus ran straight to Jordan. They completed the adoption on January 22, 2023. Jasmine said she knew Klaus would be a good fit for their home and had no hesitations about adopting him.
The household had two cats, a dog and a lizard. Klaus had never been indoors.
“He wasn’t fearful of us, but he wasn’t particularly affectionate for the first few months,” Jasmine said in October 2025.
Medical Care and Early Months
Klaus developed pancreatitis twice in his first year. He also had urinary crystals and went on prescription food.
Food remained an issue. The other cats ate calmly at scheduled times. Klaus panicked by 1pm each day that meals would stop. He ate so fast he vomited, then tried taking food from the other cats.
Jasmine set up a closet where Klaus eats alone. He runs there at feeding time and tries opening the door himself. He also took over a small couch that the other animals now avoid.
His missing eye affected how he moved through rooms. He used his front paws to feel spaces before entering. Jasmine started saying his name when approaching from his blind side.
Within months, Klaus began seeking physical contact. He started following Jasmine between rooms and sitting in laps.
Klaus Three Years Later
Klaus gets a head and neck massage every afternoon at 4pm. He still guards his eating closet and his couch. He still worries about food by 1pm each day.
Fur has grown back inside what remains of his ears. His shortened tail doesn’t limit his movement.
Jasmine started posting videos at @littlemisterklaus on TikTok. Viewers comment that he looks like “a well-loved teddy bear.” One video with Jordan, captioned “Klaus was meant to be,” got 7,240 likes and 129 comments.
The Regina Humane Society, a registered charity since 1964, honored Klaus as one of their special stories of the year. He appeared in their calendar and promotional materials.
Klaus sits in sunny spots near windows. He follows Jasmine when she moves from room to room. He gives what Jasmine calls “big drooly kisses.” He flops into laps once someone is part of his inner circle, which takes months. He still tries to open his closet door every morning before breakfast.
The cat who survived Saskatchewan’s January cold and multiple surgeries now lives in a house where someone gives him a massage at the same time every day.
