Cat's leg skinned by trap makes 'miracle' recovery

A cat whose leg was “degloved” by a suspected trap has been hailed a “miracle” after a remarkable recovery.

Cass was rushed to the emergency vet after returning from exploring the streets of Glasgow with skin missing from his back leg.

Owner Marion Clorley said the cause of the injury was unclear, but believes he was caught in a trap that peeled the skin from his leg, leaving his muscle and tendons exposed

“We believe that his paw got caught in a trap as all the skin was torn off right down to the muscle,” Marion said.

“When it happened, I was so worried that he might lose his leg and how he’d cope as a three-legged cat.”

Cass underwent surgery at vet charity PDSA to stitch the wound closed, but there was a high risk that the skin could have been too damaged to properly heal, which could have meant his leg had to be amputated.

Luckily, the surgery went well, and Cass is now fully recovered.

He is now one of PDSA’s “12 tails of Christmas”, featuring the stories of 12 “miracle” pets who have benefitted from urgent, life-saving care when it was needed.

PDSA’s 12 mini miracles, including Cass’ and Eevee’s treatment, cost over £13,500 to the charity. In 2025, PDSA expects to have treated over 450,000 pets and supported more than 4.5 million pet owners with expert advice and information.

Glasgwegian Labrador, Eevee, benefited from urgent care from vet charity PDSA. PDSA

Labrador Eevee from Glasgow is another vet charity “miracle”.

The beloved family pet provides emotional support to owner Pam Armour’s 16-year-old son, Gerrard, who is autistic. She also keeps Ms Armour, who has been diagnosed with heart failure, in constant companionship.

When Pam discovered that she might have a cancerous lump on her leg last Christmas, she called Glasgow East PDSA Pet Hospital immediately.

“She’s my shadow, she sleeps on the floor beside my bed and follows me upstairs every time I go up,” Pam said. “It’s as if she’s making sure that I’m okay.”

PDSA vet teams discovered that Eevee’s lump contained cells that are sometimes seen with a specific type of cancerous tumour in dogs. To give her the best chance of recovery, it was surgically removed.

“Without treatment, Eevee’s illness could have spread, and she’d have eventually passed away. Thanks to PDSA, my family and I will hopefully enjoy many more years with Eevee,” Pam added.

Following a few weeks of recovery, Eevee was back to being her lively self. She has also returned to her usual duties of waiting by the window for Gerrard to get home from school.