Vet hails Garfield’s lucky escape

A vet has hailed an “incredibly lucky” cat after it made a remarkable recovery from being hit by a car.

Garfield’s recovery has been described by his owner as an “absolute miracle” after he returned home one morning dragging one of his hind legs and in critical condition.

The ginger moggie was given round-the-clock life-saving treatment by Wilson Vets in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Shellshocked

His owners discovered him “shellshocked” in their garden, with blood on his mouth and an injured hind leg.

X-rays and examinations at Wilson Vets revealed the cat suffered a fractured and dislocated leg, head trauma – which caused temporary blindness – and a fractured jaw.

Vets had to amputate the 10-year-old’s leg and wire his jaw to repair the fracture.

He was initially given a feeding tube and has eaten well since it was removed, and he will undergo further surgery at the start of August to remove the wire in his jaw, which is said to be healing well.

His eyesight has returned after he recovered from the head trauma, and he is said to have adapted to the loss of his leg very well.

Adaptability

Vet Helen Brannan, who led Garfield’s surgery, said cats’ adaptability to coping with three legs meant the team “felt he had a good chance of making a full recovery.”

She added: “It was a real team effort from everyone, from when he first came into the practice to the great nursing care he received afterwards.

“He has been incredibly lucky as we see a lot of cats being struck by cars that are not as fortunate”

Quality of life

Owner Claire Robson, who rescued Garfield as a kitten with her husband Gareth, said they feared for his quality of life if he survived his injuries.

She continued: “When he came home a week later, he got out of the cat carrier as if nothing had happened.

“We kept him in a crate initially while he recovered, but he can now jump on the windowsill to sit in the sun and watch people go by. It’s an absolute miracle he’s made such a good recovery.”