Knaresborough cat lucky to be alive after acid attack

A cat in Knaresborough is lucky to be alive after being the victim of a suspected acid attack.

Emma Harrison, who lives on the Stockwell estate, said on Tuesday her two-year-old cat Tilly came inside looking so wet she thought she might have fallen in some water.

But on closer inspection, she was dry underneath, with a strange and unpleasant smell coming from her fur.

Ms Harrison said:

“She wouldn’t let me touch her. She was howling and crying.”

She took Tilly to the vet, who said the liquid on her fur smelled like acid. The vet told Ms Harrison to prepare for Tilly to suffer organ failure, which she said was “upsetting and scary” to hear.

Tilly the cat before the acid attack took place.

Ms Harrison described Tilly as a real “people’s cat” who would go up to anyone.

“She is sweet by nature.”

After Tilly was given steroids and painkillers, by Thursday it seemed she was getting back to normal – but then her fur starting falling out.

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North Yorkshire Police told Ms Harrison they believed the incident was a one-off, but she has urged other cat owners in that part of Knaresborough to be extra vigilant.

Ms Harrison said she hoped Tilly was now over the worst.

She added:

“I don’t have the words to be polite about whoever did this.”

Ripon firefighters rescue cat chased up tree by dog

A fire crew from Ripon rescued a cat that got stuck up a tree yesterday after being chased by a dog.

An RSPCA officer requested help after being unable to coax the eight-month-old moggy down.

The animal got stuck up the 20-foot high tree, on Spring Bank Close in Ripon, shortly before midday.

RSPCA officers at first advised the cat’s owners to use strong smelling food to encourage it to come down.

But when this didn’t work they came to help in person.

The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service crew from Ripon used ladders and a machine-powered saw to retrieve the cat.

It was then returned to its owners unharmed.

It is the second time in recent weeks that firefighters have rescued a cat from a tree in Ripon.

Thanks to @NorthYorksFire Blue Watch for helping ARO Holgate rescue this #cat stuck up a tree in #Ripon, the cat had been chased up the tree by a dog. Thankfully he was unharmed & reunited with its grateful owner! @RSPCA_official 49 pic.twitter.com/mCNEn3XZTS

— RSPCA Frontline (@RSPCA_Frontline) April 5, 2021

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A spokesperson for the animal welfare charity said:

“We’re extremely pleased that this cat could be rescued and reunited with the owner.

“RSPCA officers are trained to use ladders, which they carry for rescues like this, however, in situations where they still are unable to reach the animals we may ask the fire service to help and they often use animal rescues as a vital training aid.

“The RSPCA can request the help of the fire and rescue service but it is entirely up to them whether or not to attend. Some crews use animal rescues for training but emergencies involving people will always take priority.”

Cat shot in Markington ‘on the brink of death’

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a cat called Timmy was found with a shot wound on his shoulder in Markington.

RSPCA officers found the seven-year-old ginger tomcat in the village, which is between Ripon and Harrogate, after a resident alerted the animal welfare charity.

Timmy was rushed to the vets where an X-ray revealed an entry wound from a pellet had shattered his shoulder.

The cat had shrapnel all over his body, and the RSPCA said it was “lucky” the pieces missed his vital organs.

Timmy is now recovering well and the RSPCA has launched an investigation.

The vet believed the shot was fired by a shotgun at close range meaning “someone really wanted to hurt Timmy”.

RSPCA inspector Natalie Taylor said:

“This poor cat would have been in terrible pain from the gun wound. Poor Timmy was on the brink of death before the vets operated on his shoulder and saved him.

“His owners are understandably distraught, this was a callous and horrible act of cruelty against him.

“It is very distressing to think that people take pleasure in causing such horrific injuries to defenceless animals. These are deliberate and brutal acts of cruelty.”

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Ms Taylor said cats and wildlife were often victims of shootings because they are out in the open.

Airgun attacks are most commonly used but the shrapnel suggested a shotgun had been used in this case.

Anyone caught deliberately injuring an animal can face up to six months in prison. They could also be ordered to pay an unlimited fine, if found guilty under the Animal Welfare Act.

If you have any information you can call the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

Lucky Ripon cat Loki rescued from windy tree

Firefighters from Harrogate rescued a cat called Loki when he got stuck 20 metres up a windy tree in Ripon.

A member of the public alerted the RSPCA on Sunday when they noticed the eight-month-old grey cat struggling to keep his balance on the branches of the tree on Wayne Tarbard Close in Ripon.

Loki’s hind legs kept slipping off branches as they shook in the wind.

When an RSPCA officer was unable to tempt Loki down, extra help was required.

A fire crew from Harrogate rushed to the scene and used a 10.5 metre ladder to attempt the rescue.

But Loki kept climbing higher, and was soon out of reach from even the ladder.

Another crew from Harrogate was summoned, and with the help of an aerial ladder platform was able to bring the furry animal safely back to ground.

@NorthYorksFire attended a cat stuck up in a tree with Insp Little in Ripon. Unfortunately after multiple attempts using every trick in the book they had to call upon the Ariel ladder. Working together they managed to reach Loki and bring him down to safety. @RSPCA_official (64) pic.twitter.com/HvVyKvhUKJ

— RSPCA Frontline (@RSPCA_Frontline) February 21, 2021

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After being checked by the RSPCA officer, Loki was reunited with his worried owners.

RSPCA inspector Claire Little said cats were usually adept at finding their way down trees and could be coaxed with strong smelling food like fish. But Loki’s circumstances were different. Ms Little added:

“This poor cat had become well and truly stuck in the tree during quite windy weather.

“RSPCA officers are trained to use ladders, which they carry for rescues like this, however, in situations where we are still unable to reach the animals, we may ask the fire service to help and they often use animal rescues as a vital training aid.

“The fire service tried everything from ladders, reach and rescue poles and eventually they used the aerial platform to bring little Loki down to safety.”

Harrogate Cat Rescue urges owners to neuter pets

Harrogate Cat Rescue is urging owners to neuter their pets following a surge in the number of kittens.

Celia Dakin currently has 30 kittens at the organisation she runs from home in Harrogate. This is about double the norm, partly due to lockdown.

All of the animals must be vet checked and neutered before they can be adopted.

Ms Dakin said owners should do the responsible thing before allowing their cats outside to roam.

She said:

“I have more kittens in foster now than I had when I was working for a national charity, which is down to people not neutering their cats and of course the pause on the trap-neuter-return programme.”

The trap-neuter-return programme, which charities operate, prevents colonies of cats reproducing. The programme was stopped during lockdown, which has contributed to an increase in kitten litters.

Ms Dakin said owners needed to take responsibility for ensuring their cats were safe.

She added:

“I can’t stress how crucial it is. It may only cost an owner as much as a meal out. Each cat has its own needs and owners need to be aware of them. It is your responsibility as an owner.”

Cats often have several litters a year, as their pregnancies only last for nine weeks. Celia said that cats are controlled by their hormones, particularly males who will often fight for females.

Cat from Harrogate Cat Rescue

Ms Dakin’s rescue centre offers all cats and kittens another chance.

She said she often saw social media posts by cat owners showing pictures of their unexpected kittens. They were often then given away, sometimes without vet check or neutering.

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Ms Dakin hoped her rescue centre and social media posts would promote the message of neutering.

She said cats were treated as second-class to dogs.

“You wouldn’t have the same problem with dogs because they are much more protected but for cats there’s limited protection.”

 

Missing Harrogate cat on lockdown adventure 20 miles from home

A cat from Harrogate has been found after four months in Poppleton, more than 20 miles from his home. One theory is that he caught the train..

Jasper, the black cat, lived with his owners in Harrogate, who adopted him from Harrogate Cat Rescue.

He was last seen on May 13 but was found again this weekend when his owners got a call from a York vet.

Jasper had found his way to Poppleton and was taken in by a family in June. The family mistook him for a pregnant female and took him to the vets this weekend.

When his microchip was scanned they learnt he had been reported missing.

His owner, Anna Whitehouse, said:

“It still feels so surreal having him back. It was heartbreaking at first when he didn’t remember me or his name. We never used to let him out at night but over lockdown it was so much quieter so we did.

When the Minster Vets in York rang us over the weekend it was amazing, we’d spoke the week before about stopping his insurance because he’d been gone so long.If only we had a camera to know what he’d been doing.”

Jasper had been missing for 19 weeks in total. His owners had searched for him for weeks during lockdown and put appeals on local social media groups. Only to find out he never was in Harrogate.

Jasper the cat

From being in his owner’s art studio to lounging in the sun in Poppleton, Jasper’s lockdown adventure will remain a mystery.

While many of us were having an uneventful lockdown. Jasper had gone on a summer getaway to Poppleton.

Phil Brierley found the cat in June and he became a part of his family. He said:

“He kept hanging round our door and he looked desperate and hungry – he really was on his last legs. I am a die hard Leeds football fan, so even though we thought he was a girl, we called him Bielsa. He was very skittish at the beginning but after a few weeks he was happy to come sit with you.

We were disappointed to send him back because he’s got a great character but I was delighted he had a family that had been missing him.”

Mr Brierley is certain Jasper jumped on the train near his home by Hornbeam Park station and “popped off at Poppleton”.

Neither family will ever know what happened to Jasper on his travels but both are happy he’s safe and sound, once again.

‘I found more than 30 pellet wounds in my cat’

A woman who lives near Thruscross Reservoir has found more than 30 pellet wounds in her cat.

Clare Brandstrom found her one-year-old cat Elvis in the garage on Wednesday morning in a bad state.

She believed that an animal had attacked him so took the cat to the vets. The vet examined him and found pellets all over his body.

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They managed to remove around 10 pellets near the surface of his skin but did not remove the ones which were more embedded.

The vets are hopeful that Elvis will manage to survive with the pellets in his body provided that the wounds do not get infected.

It is not the first time that Mrs Brandstrom has found her cat with gunshot wounds. Her other cat Jarlie also lost an eye a few years ago.

Mrs Brandstrom told the Stray Ferret that she has reported this latest incident to the police and added:

“It is really alarming. I thought at first that animals had done this to Elvis. When we found out that he had been shot we realised we were right. The person responsible is an animal. Elvis is such a gentle cat, he would never hurt anything. He is still purring now and it breaks my heart.”

Heather Eastham worked on Elvis at Crab Lane Vets in Harrogate and told the Stray Ferret:

“There is no way that anybody could mistake this young cat for any other animal. We believe that this was a malicious attack. It is just disgusting to see. This is definitely one of the worst cases we have dealt with. I have never seen this many pellets in an owned cat before.”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police has appealed for anyone with information that could identify the culprit to call them on 101 with reference 12200139610.