Cat was tortured and then dumped on a tip (From Leigh Journal)

Cat was tortured and then dumped on a tip

9:56am Wednesday 3rd February 2010 in Video

A CAT was tortured, wrapped in plastic bags and found dumped at a rubbish tip.

The animal appeared to have been caught in a snare trap and beaten around the head before being tied up in two plastic bags and left at Lester Road Household Waste Recycling Centre in Little Hulton.

Veterinary staff have described it as the worst case of abuse they have ever seen.

The cat only escaped a slow death when a worker at the tip heard a muffled mewing sound coming from a skip.

Tip boss Drew Thornley dug down in the rubbish and found the cat buried a foot deep in a pile of waste that was due to be burned.

Mr Thornley pulled it out and took it to a vet, A Regan in St Helens Road, Daubhill where they found a piece of wire tied tightly around its abdomen and bruising all over its head. Mr Thornley said: “It was a mess. It was covered in mud, it had a big gash on its head and it was all wet.

“I was heartbroken. I just couldn’t believe that someone would do that to a cat.”

The cat has now made a remarkable recovery since being found last Wednesday, and the vets are looking for someone to claim it or give it a new home.

It is a female long-haired tortoiseshell, thought to be about two to three years old, and has not been given a name.

Regan’s head nurse Jemma Aitken said it was the worst case of abuse she had seen in seven years of veterinary work.

“It was almost dead when it was brought in. We put it in intensive care and it seems to have picked up over the weekend. It’s a gorgeous little cat and is very friendly and very vocal.”

Kath Kay of Bolton RSPCA said: “How can anyone do something like that?

“It is very depressing. I don’t know how the cat survived. If someone knows who has done this then please tell us. We will pursue the matter if we get information.”

Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and/or £20,000 fine.

Anyone with information should call the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

Anyone who wants to claim the cat can call Regan on 01204 660066.