Cat's paw caught in banned trap in Pontarddulais
VETS in Swansea have saved the leg of a cat which found itself caught in a trap which has been banned in Britain for more than 50 years.
One and a half year old Sol appeared on his owner's doorstep in Pontarddulais with a gin trap attached to his foot.
Jean Hixson was alerted to the incident after her Sheltie dog Candy began barking loudly at the door.
The 47-year-old found her cat with the trap around its paw sitting on the step outside her home on Pantiago Road.
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Miss Hixson took her pet to the Tawe Veterinary Group surgery in Gorseinon.
Sol was then transferred to the group's premises in Sketty where it underwent an X-ray and spent a night in the care of vets. Surgeons were able to treat the animal without having to amputate its leg.
His owner said: "He normally goes out in the evening for a couple of hours but he comes back at 1am and then goes back out at 4am.
"He is not out for very long. He is usually during the day.
"Yesterday morning he hadn't come back. It thought it was a bit strange.
"At about 10am my dog started barking. She went bananas. She normally alerts me when Sol is outside the door. When I opened the door he was sitting on the step with the gin trap attached to his paw.
"He had obviously pulled it up and come home with it. He was just dragging it with him.
"I was very upset and it was quite upsetting thinking people have been putting them out and using them. I think it is awful to think someone is using them. I think it is barbaric to be honest with you."
Miss Hixson said surgeons at the veterinary centre told her the injuries were not as bad as they first appeared.
A spokeswoman for Tawe Veterinary Group said the incident was very rare.
She said: "We haven't seen any of this type in the past five to six years. He (Sol) has minor injuries considering the trap that was caught on his leg. He was very lucky, he could have lost his leg.
"He has crush injuries to his leg."
Sol was treated by Tawe Veterinary Group vets Alison Brettell and Gemma Thomas.
He was reunited with his owner yesterday afternoon.
Miss Hixson collected her cat from the vet and said: "He has a bandage on his paw and he is still very upset.
"We will just have to keep him indoors for the time being until it heals."
Gin traps were banned in 1958 according to the RSCPA.
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