Missing family cat injured by snare

A family cat, which had been missing for five days, was finally found wrapped in a snare and hardly able to move. He was discovered in the garden of his owners, the Reddy family who live in Mansfield, Nottingham.

The long-haired tabby cat had severe wounds to his legs where he had been struggling and biting to free himself from the wire snare, which had caught him just behind the hind quarters. The family rushed the cat to local vets where he received stitches and treatment for dehydration as he had not been able to eat or drink whilst he was trapped in the snare.

Diana Reddy (24) was devastated when her long-haired tabby cat went missing -she had searched the local area extensively and posted messages on internet sites to try to find her pet.

She is now paying off the £80 cost for treatment, but says “It’s ok, at least he is going to be alright, I dread to think what would have happened if he had been caught around the neck.”

Although the family have no idea who may have set the snare, they are anxious to warn other pet owners in the area. The snare was cut to enable the seven year old cat to find his way home, but this means tracing whoever set the snare is impossible.

Snares are commonly set to catch foxes and rabbits, but are totally indiscriminate and can often claim other victims such as pets, livestock and even protected wildlife, such as badgers and otters.