Cat has life-saving surgery after suffering horrific injuries during a 'brutal' attack in Desborough

A family’s beloved pet cat has had to have life-saving surgery after he suffered “horrific” injuries in a “brutal” attack in Desborough.

Horrified Katrina Castledine, 54, and her husband John, 69, jumped into action straight away to set up the emergency operation after their “beautiful boy” Angus was attacked near their home on Copelands Road.

The six-year-old rescue cat bravely managed to limp back home in agony after he was kicked so hard by a “sick” thug that a boot-shaped bruise was left on his stomach.

Against all the odds tenacious Angus is now making a strong recovery after his urethra was ruptured and his penis destroyed in the vicious assault.

Today Katrina told the Harborough Mail: “We still can’t believe that this has happened to poor Angus.

“It was such a brutal, sickening attack.

“Angus has been to hell and back.

“The sick person who did this to Angus could easily have killed him.

“And they desperately need help because they must be seriously disturbed,” said the shocked mum-of-five, who’s been brilliantly backed by a community fundraising campaign to help pay for the highly-specialist surgery.

Katrina said Angus was randomly targeted after he went out to stroll around a fortnight ago today on Friday January 14.

“Angus went out as normal but he never strays that far.

“He didn’t come back as usual on Saturday so that night I just put out a line on Facebook asking people to keep an eye out for him,” said the grandmother-of-four.

“There was still no sign of him until my husband John got up at 6am on the Sunday.

“He went downstairs and found Angus laid down just inside his cat flap.

“John tried to pick him up but he hissed at him and didn’t like it, it was obvious he was in great pain.

“I dashed down to have a look at him and picked him up but he couldn’t stand up – his back legs just collapsed,” said Katrina, talking to the Mail from her home as she stroked Angus sitting beside her.

“I thought he’d been hit by a car.

“I haven’t got a clue how he somehow battled back here and leapt over our 6ft garden fence when he was so terribly injured.

“We took Angus straight to our emergency vets, Northlands, in Kettering.

“They are sure that he was kicked very hard between his legs from behind or someone had stamped down on him.

“Angus is such a lovely, friendly little boy that he may well have trotted across to the evil so and so who booted him,” said the lifelong animal lover who also has another cat and two dogs.

“He spent two days at the vet’s here.

“He couldn’t have a wee because his urethra had been ruptured and his penis had been destroyed.

“They had to insert a needle through his abdomen to empty his bladder or it would have killed him,” said Katrina, whose other cat Pepper survived after being shot with an air rifle three years ago.

“We were told that Angus would have to be put to sleep or he could undergo emergency surgery at Davies Veterinary Specialists near Hitchin.

“We knew it could cost a lot of money and there were no guarantees but we were determined to give him every chance.

“So he had a four and a half hour operation on the Tuesday night.

“The vet’s, who have all been brilliant, had to remove his penis.

“It was touch and go and Angus could have gone – the staff there said he certainly made them work because it was that tricky!

“We were on tenterhooks waiting for news, it was heart-stopping,” said the bookkeeper.

“He had to stay at the vet’s receiving intensive care round the clock until we finally got him back home last Sunday (January 23).

“And now apart from one minor scare he’s coming on in leaps and bounds bless him.

“Within the family Angus really belongs to our daughter Sophie, 22, and she loves him to bits.

“So this whole terrible business has been as terrifying for her as it has for the rest of us.

“The vets’ bills stack up to almost £10,000 altogether – and Davies had already generously knocked off £2,000,” said Katrina, who’s alerting the police and the RSPCA to the attack on Angus.

“But luckily we had insurance – and that should cover about £5,000 of it.

“And we have already raised about £3,700 from over 260 people who have got behind our fundraising effort.

“I can’t thank them enough.

“We don’t even know 90 per cent of those people.

“But I’ll be writing to each and every one of them to thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

“They have restored our faith in human nature.

“As well as donating money they have flooded with us with so many messages wishing us and Angus well and sending their love.

“It’s been absolutely overwhelming.

“And we’ll be handing over all donations over and above our target to Wood Green animal centre, which does so much amazing work,” said Katrina.

“Angus was just four weeks old when we first met him back in August 2015.

“He was in foster care after being found dumped with his siblings in a cardboard box in a car park in London.

“So our special little boy had such a tough start in life and now this happens to him.

“But we won’t be letting Angus out of our sight from now on – we’ll be watching him night and day!”

If you would like to donate to help pay for Angus’s lifesaving surgery you can visit Katrina’s fundraising page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-pay-for-angus-lifesaving-surgery