Kitten badly burned after found trapped under car bonnet in Penzance

A beloved kitten had to have its leg amputated after it was found in the engine of a car driven unknowingly with the animal trapped inside. The pet was also badly burned but hopefully she will make a full recovery and return home where she is missed.

Michelle Keast, from Penzance, realized her pet Sula was missing at the weekend, but just 24 hours later her partner found the ginger cat trapped in a vehicle near the house. Lucky to be alive, the nine-month-old pet suffered severe burns from the heat of the engine.

“We were finally able to free her after several hours of help from neighbors, firefighters, etc.,” she said. “The car was driven with it in, I’m so grateful to those who helped.”

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Mum Michelle said the family were so relieved to have found her, but unfortunately she was badly injured and the unexpected vet bill was in excess of £2,000. “Unfortunately, one leg has to be amputated due to severe injuries and infection.

“Also has cuts and burns all over,” she wrote on a fundraising page. “With all the pain relief, antibiotics, blood, sedation, X-rays, surgery and aftercare, we’re looking at a bill that’s currently £2,200 which we don’t currently have.”

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Her partner found Sula inside the neighbor’s vehicle the day after she went missing and they and firefighters worked for hours to try to free her as the public scrambled to find the owner of the vehicle.

Speaking about Sula’s condition, Michelle said: “She’s still got a pretty high temperature and an infection but she’s getting up and using her litter box which is great. We hope to get her home tonight.

“She’s alive and that’s what I told my little girl. We should be thankful we found her and it could have been a lot worse. I told her that not many people have a three-legged cat and we will have this great cat that survived.”

She explained that the kitten, who means everything to her seven-year-old daughter Kiera, doesn’t usually venture far and doesn’t usually leave the wall behind their house, preferring to stay close.

“He didn’t come in on Sunday night like he always does and I checked again before I went to bed and he still wasn’t there. We had a very busy day on Monday and we all went out very early.

“I got home on Monday and my partner went to look for her and she was just a few doors down.” He would call her name and she would call back when it became clear she was trapped and couldn’t get out. Unfortunately, even the firemen could not get into the car, but they alerted the police.

Eventually, the owner of the car was found and opened the hood, meaning they were able to free a stupid Sula. Unfortunately, the owner didn’t know she was previously caught and drove the car with her that day, causing burns.

“Her leg was badly burned and damaged to the bone as well as other burns,” added Michelle. “If the car was driven again, it probably wouldn’t be here.”

A fundraiser has now started for anyone who would like to donate towards vet fees. You can view it here. Michelle said: “I am so overwhelmed by all the support and kind messages I have received so far and thank you all. I appreciate this”.