A cat has made a miraculous recovery after using up one of his nine lives in a car accident.
Gin, who lives in Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, with his owner Liz Allen, a 40-year-old race horse stud manager, had been outside exploring and was making his way home when he was hit by a car.
MORE: Popular cafe threatened by closure to stay open after last-minute reprieve“I knew straight away that something wasn’t right,” said Liz. ‘“I noticed a fracture in his hind leg and called the vets straight away.”
Once they arrived at Thurston Vets, which is part of Haughley & Thurston Vets, Gin received initial treatment for his shock and underwent an X-ray, which revealed a complicated multiple fracture of the tibia, which would be impossible to repair.
And as Gin suffers from severe arthritis in the unaffected leg, amputation could have had a real negative impact on this.
Liz was faced with a difficult decision: to have Gin’s affected leg amputated or to have him put to sleep.
Amputation is an expensive procedure that, in this case, could have caused further problems, but she decided to go ahead with the amputation, which took place the following day.
It was a tremendous success and Gin returned home a day later – and didn’t let a missing leg slow him down.
MORE: What will the weather be like over the Bank Holiday weekend in Suffolk?Liz said: “It wasn’t long before he returned to his usual self. He was back to walking very quickly, and full of energy.
“He’s escaped twice. Just one day after he started walking again, he barged past me and escaped through the cat flap.
“His recovery has been truly inspiring.”
The team at Haughley & Thurston Vets have described Gin as a “superstar patient”.
Liz said she was “so grateful” to the staff, adding: “Gin wouldn’t be alive today if not for the wonderful team.”
Gin, who Liz describes as spoilt, friendly and an all-round ‘top cat’, has enjoyed some much-deserved preferential treatment at home since his operation.
He’s been kept apart from the other pets in the household – including horses, four dogs and three other cats. He gets to sleep in bed with Liz, her partner and their kitten Scrumpy. What’s more, he’s even enjoyed being hand-fed plenty of treats.
Haughley & Thurston Vets are part of My Family Vets.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here