Kitten's ear cut off and tail slashed with Stanley knife in 'barbaric' Liverpool attack

Pumpkin the kitten recovering after his ordeal Credit: Liverpool Echo

Warning: This article contains images some people may find upsetting.

A kitten is lucky to be alive after a 'cruel' attack left it with horrific injuries in Liverpool.The five-week old kitten was taken to County Cat Rescue on the city's County Road after he was found 'covered in blood' on the street earlier this month.After undergoing three major operations, further investigations confirmed that the kitten, renamed Pumpkin, had been 'slashed' with a sharp object believed to be a Stanley knife.Rescue owner Maria Miller said "A member of the public brought him in to us wrapped in a jumper, covered in blood.

The animal's ear was cut with a knife. Credit: Liverpool Echo

She continued: "Someone had cut his ear clean off and slashed under his tail, taking all the fur off, to the bone right to the tip."

"I feel sick that someone could do something like that to a defenceless animal. He fits in the palm of my hand he's that small."Despite his serious injuries, Pumpkin is recovering well and has 'come on so far already'.Maria Miller says the rescue is at 'maximum capacity and 'funds are low' and is urging people to support the centre.

For more information, visit the centre's Facebook page.