Briar House Veterinary Practice has given an update on the progress of two-year-old cat Oreo who was callously shot in Margate this week.
Owner Jodie Gower she let Oreo out from her Brockley Road home on Sunday while she was cooking dinner but by Tuesday he still had not returned.
The puss was found in an alleyway by Grotto Road and looked like he had been run over and couldn’t move his legs.
He was taken to Thanet Vets who gave Oreo pain relief. The next day Jodie took him to Briar House and an X ray revealed the young cat had been shot twice.
One pellet was lodged in his spine causing him to be unable to urinate or move his back legs.
Oreo belongs to Jodie’s nine-year-old son Elliott. Jodie said: “Oreo sleeps on his pillow every night.”
She added: “I do not know how someone could be so evil to shoot a cat. He is the loveliest cat. If I manage to get him home he isn’t going out again and I’ll even move house because I don’t want to live somewhere where people think it is ok to shoot a cat.”
A swell of support from the community raised £4000 for Oreo to undergo surgery.
Briar House has now issued an update, in agreement with Jodie, to raise awareness.
The veterinary practice says: “We wouldn’t normally post about a patient who is sadly so critically ill but as this horrible event happened locally, between us and Oreo’s owners we have decided that awareness needs to be raised to all our pet owners out there
“Oreo was brought to us on Wednesday morning unable to use his back legs. We quickly needed to work out what was going on so immediately ran blood tests, took some X-rays and sadly found that Oreo had been shot.
“The X-rays showed a pellet in his shoulder and one in his spine.
“Unfortunately, the spinal one had damaged the spinal chord between the T4 and T5 vertebrae (along the top of the rib cage) as it was compressed by a large haematoma. Due to the injury, Oreo lost the function of his back end paralysing his hind limbs and compromising his ability to pass urine.
“Over the past few days, we have been working super hard on Oreo – firstly to stabilise him, undertaking a late night surgery to remove the bullet and clear the haematoma and now a prolonged period of intensive nursing to aid his recovery.”
The vet surgery says there is some improvement in Oreo’s back legs but severe neurological deficits are still present and he is still unable to pass urine.
They add: “Sadly, due to the extent of neurological damage, we aren’t expecting him to totally recover from this injury but we are working really hard to give him all the treatment he needs to have the best chance to improve and regain an acceptable quality of life.”
Lead Vet Enrico Cecchetti said: “Oreo’s surgery was very delicate but successful. He is now receiving all the treatment he needs to have the best chance to improve but it is a long and difficult path. Only time will tell us how permanent the damage is.”
Oreo is receiving pain relief, antibiotics, intravenous fluids, physiotherapy and laser therapy in the hope that his hind quarter function and urination will improve.
Briar House adds: “Only time will tell what Oreo’s future has in store but if Oreo’s zest for giving it his all, our veterinary interventions, his amazing owners who are signing up to do everything they can and of course the whole community who has been touched by Oreo’s story, he certainly has everything he needs to fight this hard battle.”
Jodie said: “A massive thank you to everyone., I honestly can’t believe what Briar House is doing to try and give Oreo the best possible outcome. No thanks will ever be enough.”
A police spokesperson said: “Kent Police was contacted at 12.15pm on Wednesday 22 February 2023 following a report a cat had been found with injuries in the Brockley Road area of Margate.
“Initial enquiries are under way to determine how the cat came by the injuries and whether any criminal offences have been committed.”
Someone must know who owns an air gun / rifle in their area. Do the right thing and report them to the police. Those who cause pain and suffering to animals are dangerous individuals who have been found to abuse other humans. Sick sick sick.
Yes, if cat was found in alleyway then it will probably be from someone in the houses it backs on to. Owners should put leaflets through the doors of those houses stating what happened and someone might grass them up.
I know some will say its only a cat, but you got a gimpy little xbox playing muppet with an air gun that has started with shooting animals, might get ideas on doing it to people in the future.
Only in thanet and even more margate. Full of chavs druggies and wrong ones. Someone knows who done this to this innocent cat. The sad fact is the police won’t do anything if they are found. Especially in thanet.
This kind of thing does not only happen in Thanet and Margate.
Totally agree ,some people think the world outside thanet is brilliant,and all is good,talk to people from Canterbury ,what life is like there ,drink and drugs problems galore ,same with any other town or city in the uk,some people who live outside Thanet always going on about life here, because they can ,and if you live in Thanet and don’t like it ,move ,No one is stopping you
On the contrary. I would rather think that if the perpetrator is caught he or she will face a lengthy custodial sentence. An air gun is classed as a firearm.
“To determine whether any criminal offences have been committed”? Dear police, the answer is ‘yes’. You’re welcome.
Possibly. Possibly not.
Fortunately, in this country (and even in Thanet and Margate) we have a system of jurisprudence, which says that a oerson is innocent until proved guilty.
Best wishes to Oreo and his family x
One word why? Why would anyone want to hurt an animal. If this is work of youths then their behaviour will escalate. Can’t think it was a total druggie as gun would have been sold for their habit. As previous comment someone must know something, do the right thing. At the very least get the rifle off the loser. Police should look into who has a gun licence in this area.
It’s really sad and cruel the cat was shot, but what’s even sadder is that the owners don’t have pet insurance to pay for surgery. It’s amazing how this fundraiser amassed over £5,000 (and is still open) in a couple of days, yet the fundraiser for the family who’s house was burned down has just scraped £750 since the 17th February. Obviously people care more about animals than fellow human beings.