A cat’s leg was left hanging on by a thin thread of skin after its owner allowed a cancerous tumour to develop for several months, a court heard.
Anna Collett’s pet cat Gizmo had been limping after scratching its hind legs on barbed wire, and she treated the wound by washing it in salt water.
But the problem was a tumour, which damaged skin and bones and led to a serious infection, Northampton Magistrates Court heard today.
When RSPCA officers attended Collett’s home on May 29, they found 17-year-old Gizmo’s leg hanging at a right angle. The officer said the cat shook when he was handled and there was a pungent odour from the infected leg.
Collett, 29, of Wicken, near Deanshanger, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Kevin McCole, prosecuting, said Collett did not want to take Gizmo to the vet because she was worried he would be put down. He had been eating and drinking normally so she thought his condition was that serious.
But after Gizmo was taken into care, his leg was amputated and he made a full recovery.
Mr McCole added: “The leg was dangling and attached to the higher part of the limb by a thin piece of skin. Otherwise, it was a reasonably healthy cat. It was a slow-growing tumour and it is likely the cat had been left with painful problems for many months.”
In her statement, Collett said: “I suppose I was selfish. I didn’t want to lose him.”
Paul Carter, mitigating, said: “She has had animals all her life and still has three cats.
“It was a very healthy cat. She accepted it started having problems with its leg and thought that was as a result of catching it on a fence. She was treating it by washing it. He was eating and drinking throughout.
“She didn’t believe for one minute there was anything seriously wrong with the cat.”
The prosecution asked for £500 costs and told magistrates they could consider banning Collett from keeping animals.
The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and Collett will be sentenced next month.
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