Thousands raised for kitten found 'burnt and barely alive'
Warning some people may find these images distressing.
Thousands have been raised for a tiny cat dubbed the "fire kitten" after he was found severely burnt and barely alive in a Derby street.The kitten was found in a near-death state by Derbyshire Police, with the skin on his paws and face 'burnt off' and all of his fur singed by flames.Police spotted the little cat on Normanton Road and took him straight to Pride Veterinary Centre where nurses fought desperately to save his life.
Staff at the veterinary clinic said they weren't sure if the seven-week-old cat would make it.
Jenni Gretton was among the team who took care of the kitten, she said: "I imagine at some point he may have been owned, when he came to us he looked really singed and brown, all of his nails were burnt off, his whiskers, the pads on his feet were completelyfried, his face was burnt.""When he first got brought in we did consider, because he was in so much pain, that potentially he wasn't going to continue, we did think is it fair to keep him going' because he was in such a state.""I've been practising as a vet nurse for 13 years and I've never seen a cat burnt that badly, normally if they get that burnt they don't survive, I'd never seen anything like that before."Most kittens become independent from their parents at around eight weeks old but "fire cat" was only seven-weeks-old, meaning he was "incredibly young".
Jenni said that although his injuries are "horrific" they do not appear to be malicious and it is likely that he came too close to a bonfire, as many kittens are naturally curious and will explore without realising they are in danger.A nurse has fostered him while recovers and he now enjoys playing around the house and having naps.
Although many of his burn wounds have healed, the kitten has suffered a rare condition in which the scarred skin on his face has tightened so much that his eyelids have "turned inside out".In order to correct the debilitating injury, which leaves his eyes dry, sore and at risk of losing his sight, Jenni said he will have to undergo a costly operation to reverse the damage.Within six hours of setting up a fundraiser to gather donations for the operation, Jenni had surpassed her £2,000 target.She said: "It's incredible, it shows how much people want to support animals in need, it has definitely restored my faith in humanity."
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