Northampton woman who treated cat's cancerous wound with HONEY banned from keeping pets

A Northampton woman who treated a large cancerous wound on her cat's leg with honey, which led to the animal having to have the leg amputated, has been disqualified from keeping animals for 12 months.
Blacky had to have her leg amputated after her owner treated her cancerous wounds with honey. She was later put down.Blacky had to have her leg amputated after her owner treated her cancerous wounds with honey. She was later put down.
Blacky had to have her leg amputated after her owner treated her cancerous wounds with honey. She was later put down.

Denise Smith, 58, of Axehead Road, Briar Hill, was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat named Blacky following a trial at Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (November 14).

The court heard that the RSPCA was contacted by a concerned member of the public on August 30 last year.

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When Inspector Michelle Hare visited Smith’s property she found the cat with a heavily bandaged leg.

Inspector Hare said: “When we took the bandages off I could see that Blacky had a large and cancerous wound on her leg which was so deep it had gone down to her tendons. It looked incredibly painful and infected.

“I took her to a vet, who decided that the best thing to do would be to amputate the leg.

“It turned out that Smith had been treating the wound with manuka honey, after reading online that it had microbial properties - but it certainly isn’t something which should have been used on a wound like Blacky had. Blacky should have been to see a vet at the earliest opportunity.”

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Blacky recovered from the amputation surgery and was rehomed, but sadly the cancer returned a few months later and she was put to sleep.

As well as a 12-month ban on all animals, Smith was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £115 fine.

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