A CAT which was spotted at the side of the road and believed to be dead, came back to life when it was given medical attention by vets.
A conscientious family picked up the cat, after they drove past it on the Forden to Montgomery road.
At first they believed it to be dead, but on their return journey an hour later their daughter said she thought she saw it move.
They brought it to Trefaldwyn Vets Practice in Montgomery.
The cat, now named Star, was X-rayed and vets discovered that it had a shattered pelvis, presumably from a collision with a vehicle, and one of his legs had to be amputated.
Star stayed at the practice for a week before being taken to Newtown Cats Protection, where he has been cared for over the past week.
No-one knows how long he lay at the side of the road, said Cats Protection volunteer Jenny Matthews.
“He must have been in so much pain, but he purred the whole time,” she said. “He is completely black but he’s obviously very lucky to still be alive.”
If any of the volunteers sees a cat on the side of the road, they never assume the cat is dead, said Jenny.
“It could be unconscious, as happened in this case, you just don’t know. The least we can do is move it off the road.”
Newtown Cats Protection also have a website where they post information about ‘found’ cats, in case owners are still searching.
“Presumably Star must have belonged to someone once, as he is very friendly,” she added.
Star, who is approximately 12 months old, has been neutered and given all the necessary injections and de-worming treatment, along with the numerous operations he needed to bring him back to health.
His vets bills currently stand at around £800 and Cats Protection is seeking donations from the public to help them with the cost of Star’s recovery.
Although Cats Protection are a national charity, each local premises does their own fundraising, including bag packs and bucket shakes. They welcome any donations from the public including unwanted presents which they can then sell to raise money.
Star will eventually be rehomed when he has fully recovered, and needs at least another fortnight of cage rest.
He needs to go to a very safe environment with no roads around whatsoever, now that he is a three-legged cat, said Jenny.
“We have rehomed a number of three-legged cats and once they find their balance, they can move around really well,” she said.
“He purrs all the time and is completely black. We think he is one of last year’s kittens, around one year old.”
Cats such as Star emphasise the need to keep cats indoors at night, Jenny added.
“Many owners think it’s best to put cats out at night, but they often wander down to the road and are disorientated by car headlights which can lead to accidents such as these,” she said.
* If anyone is interested in adopting Star when he is fully recovered, visit http://newtown.cats.org.uk or call 01686 670277.