Staff at Oak Tree were shocked to discover that a beautiful ginger cat, who had been living as a stray had not only been abandoned but also shot.
Eight year old Aslan had been living as a stray for over 1 year after his owners moved away and left him behind in the garden. Neighbours fed and looked out for him but he kept trying to get back into his old home and they contacted Oak Tree when they decided it was in his best interests to find him a new family.
On arrival at Oak Tree, the team noticed that Aslan had a really bad smell around his head, similar to halitosis. His teeth were not great but not as bad as expected from the smell. The next day Aslan developed a very runny nose and was sneezing, and Oak Tree staff noticed a slight bulge on the left-hand side of his nose. He was assessed at our partner vet practice, Eden Veterinary Centre, who started him on antibiotics and scheduled him in for a general anaesthetic and dental. Under anaesthetic vets decided to do an x-ray and found an obvious foreign body in his nose. The foreign body was removed through the left nostril and found to be an air-gun pellet.
Aslan has done very well post-surgery but vets suspect that the scar tissue in the left nostril has blocked it and so he may only be able to breathe through the right nostril. This doesn’t seem to be hampering his enthusiasm for life and his search for a loving new forever home.
Caroline Johnson, General Manager at Oak Tree said “Aslan is an extremely affectionate and loving cat. We were truly shocked to find an air-gun pellet lodged in his nasal cavity and by the cruelty that he has suffered. Sadly his story is not uncommon.”
“We receive several calls every year where owners have relocated and left their pet behind. Once stray, previously-owned cats can become vulnerable to attacks by other animals or targeted as victims of antisocial, cruel human behaviour. We thank Eden Vets so much for their help in finding the shotgun pellet, extracting it and for their ongoing care and support for Aslan. We are so pleased that Aslan is recovering well and look forward to helping him find his forever home where he can get the love and comfort he so deserves.”
For further information about rehoming Aslan or another animal from Oak Tree and to find out about the Charity’s work and how you can help please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk or the Charity’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages.
