Northampton vets search for owner of wounded stray cat

"Stitchy" was brought to the Rhodes Veterinary Surgery on Towcester Road, Farcotton, on February 6 with a nasty wound to her abdomen.

Rhodes Veterinary Surgery, on Queens Park Parade, Kingsthorpe, has made an appeal for the Northampton public to share the unchipped tabby cat's picture after she was brought to them for emergency surgery on the evening of February 6.

Gemma Abraham, a veterinary nurse at the Kingsthorpe surgery, said: "A member of public found her and brought her into the Far Cotton Surgery on Towcester Road. She had a very nasty wound on her abdomen and we suspected she misjudged a jump and hurt herself on a fence or maybe a rail.

"Our surgeons operated on her using funds from our stray fund and now we just want to find her owner.

"If anyone in the Towcester Road area has lost their cat or knows someone who has please get in touch with us."

The cat, nicknamed 'Stichy" by her nurses, does not have a collar or a microchip.

Gemma said: "If we can't find her owners, she will be given to an animal shelter to look after her."

Anyone with information can call Rhodes Veterinary Surgery on 01604 712070.

She was operated on using money from the stray fund and is now resting at the main surgery on Queens Park Parade, Kingsthorpe.

Anyone wishing to claim 'Stichy' will need to provide photo proof that they own are her owners.

Gemma said: "It's so important that owners get their pets microchipped, and it's even more important for cats, who roam a lot. With it, we can reunite them on the day we find them."

Rhodes Veterinary Surgery recently earned the Cat Friendly Award from the International Cat Care charity, which is given to groups that contribute to cat welfare.

They created a 'no dogs allowed' area specifically for cats and exotic pets waiting to be seen, complete with tables for cat carriers.

Veterinary nurses Lauren Goodchild, left, and Gemma Abraham, right, with "Stitchy."

"Simple changes can make a big difference for cats," said Gemma, who organised many of the changes to earn the award. "When they are in cat carriers, they don't like to be left on the ground, so we included tables in our special cat waiting area for them to be placed on.

"Our holding cages also have stools for them to hide on or under, and we place blankets on the cages to calm more erratic cats.

"Cats are special favourites of mine and I had been thinking of getting the award for the surgery for while now. They were such simple changes to make and only one other surgery in the town had the award, so we went for it."

The surgery also offers three different substrates of cat litter.