London: Carrot Cake The cat narrowly avoids losing a leg after an accident | UK News
A cat named Carrot Cake nearly lost her leg after a bizarre accident while her owner wasn’t home.
Carrot Cake, an inquisitive and energetic two-year-old shorthaired domestic cat, lives with her owner in East Ham, east London.
But having recently left for the day, Nathalie Kassoul returned to find the kitty bruised and bruised, unable to walk on her hind leg.
A private vet discovered Carrot Cake had injuries similar to those from a car accident or fall – but Nathalie had no idea how her feline friend was injured so badly.
X-rays added to her affliction list that Carrot Cake would need costly surgery to save her leg or it would have to be amputated.
Nathalie would do anything for her beloved cat, but sadly, amid the dizzying cost-of-living crisis, she was unable to pay the £5,000 medical bill.
“I have absolutely no idea what happened to carrot cake and it was so horrible to find her like that,” Nathalie said.
“When we arrived at the private veterinary practice they explained that her leg was broken and the treatment could cost up to £5,000.
“I would put my pet’s health above all else, but we just couldn’t afford that.
“We are already trying to make savings due to the sheer impact of the cost of living – we try not to use the heating and we have even bought a microwave as it is cheaper to run than gas cooking our meals.
“We faced a heartbreaking decision as we couldn’t afford the cost of repairs in private practice.”
So she turned to the People’s Pharmacy for Sick Animals (PDSA), a veterinary charity that runs nearly 50 hospitals for those who can’t afford veterinary care.
Carrot Cake was taken to the PDSA Bow Pet Hospital in Barker’s Butts Lane, where further X-rays confirmed the cat’s health had not deteriorated any further.
PDSA Vet Claire Wood said: “When Carrot Cake arrived at the hospital she had sores and bruises around her pelvis and hind legs.
“We took further X-rays to check that there were no other injuries before she was operated on and luckily these showed that there was no further damage so we could operate with a pin and plate with screws to fix the.” holding bones together while he heals.’
Thanks to the PDSA surgeons, Carrot Cake is now back on his feet.
“The surgery went well and Carrot Cake was able to go home later that day with painkillers and antibiotics to keep her wounds from developing an infection,” Claire said, adding that all that is needed now is bed rest may be.
“Fortunately, after six weeks, the fracture healed and we were able to remove the needle,” the vet said.
Worries — like bills — are piling up quickly for pet owners as months of double-digit inflation push up the prices of groceries, fuel and more.
According to the PDSA’s 2023 PAW report, 85% of pet owners say they feel less lonely when they own a pet.
While 44% say owning a pet has been a “lifeline” for them during the cost-of-living crisis.
And that can come at a cost. Nearly a fifth of pet owners are reducing weekly grocery shopping to ensure their pets aren’t going hungry, the PSDA found.
About 770,000 owners are doing without basic necessities and two million are canceling vacations to ensure they can look after their pets.
Owning a cat can cost an owner at least £11,100 over a lifetime.
But for now, Nathalie is just grateful that her cat is on the mend.
“Carrot Cake has made a really good recovery and is back to her loving and energetic self — up and away, jumping and running to her heart’s content,” said Nathalie.
“She is such an active cat who loves to explore the great outdoors so we couldn’t be more grateful to PDSA for treating her and helping to avoid amputation.
“While my daughter and I both work, I don’t know how we could afford to pay for the veterinary care needed to treat her leg.
“In our time of need, PDSA was able to save our beloved pet, the work they do is truly life changing.”
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