A couple have told of their horror after finding their six-month-old Maine Coon had been left for dead and needing nearly £20,000 worth of medical treatment.
Fair Oak residents of seven years, Grace Weare, 32, and Harry Long, 31, became anxious when their pet Gatsby did not come home on Saturday, January 27.
The couple spent hours searching the area but could not find him.
After resuming the search the following day, Grace spotted a Golden Retriever barking at something in a bush on Botley Road, outside the parish council building.
She was shocked to find Gatsby lying there seriously injured.
Grace said: “It felt like fate that we were out looking at the exact same time. I was screaming and crying but glad he was alive.
“He suffered extensive trauma to the face, was breathing fast and was very hot to touch. We believe he sat in the cold for around 22 hours.”
The cat's injuries include a broken jaw, a broken nose, a fractured eye socket and loss of sight in the right eye, and a broken femur.
The midwife added: “On both Sunday night and Monday morning the vet suggested euthanasia as they felt the trauma sustained was too much.
“We are in a constant battle – with him being six months old he could have a long, happy life ahead.”
The playful Maine Coon has the highest level of insurance cover, nonetheless, due to the extent of his injuries, the insurance would only cover half the cost of treatment.
So far, the couple and their insurance company have shared the cost of a £2,100 vet bill for stabilising care, £4,000 for transfer to a special unit and £1,000 per day for an oxygen tank.
But with Gatsby’s jaw surgery alone costing as much as £6,000, Grace and Harry have set up a fundraiser to ask for help.
Grace added: “We want our beloved Gatsby to live a wonderful life for the next 20 years but these costs are rising up to around £20,00 in total.
“He is doing his part and fighting every hour. It is with a heavy heart that we ask for any donation towards the surgeries needed for Gatsby.”
To date, more than £1,600 have been raised.
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