A tattooed Sphynx cat will no longer be subjected to a life behind bars — and is looking for a new home — after it was rescued from the Cereso 3 prison in Mexico.

The cat, who does not yet have a name, was taken into the care of animal rescue workers in the city of Juarez after authorities found that gang members had tattooed and generally mistreated the animal, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Veterinary doctor Giselle Rubio shows a Sphynx cat with a tattoo that reads “Made in Mexico” at an animal shelter in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico February 11, 2023. Reuters

There are tattoos on both sides of the hairless cat, one of which reads “Made in Mexico.”

The phrase “Made in Mexico” is linked to the “Los Mexicles,” a street gang linked to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel.

The tattoos were inscribed on the cat without anesthetic and may have belonged to a gang leader who was 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed on January 5 after escaping the prison, Mail Online reported.

Authorities said they are now looking for a caring family to adopt the one-year-old cat.

“The cat is very sociable and is in great shape, with no infections,” Cesar Rene Diaz, ecology director for the city of Juarez, told Reuters.

Mexican authorities are still making a decision about who will adopt the young feline and plan to entrust the creature to a family in a ceremony on March 1, according to Reuters.