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A Christchurch man’s ill-treatment of a cat that had 13 fractures, was very thin and had blood coming from its mouth, and his failure to get it treated has landed him seven months’ home detention.
In March 2021, the cat, named Vendetta, was normal and healthy, the SPCA said. By August, the owner’s flatmate noticed it looked visibly thin and “as though she had been run over”, the SPCA said.
The flatmate reported Vendetta was lying on the ground with its mouth open, blood coming from its mouth and spread across its face. Her eyes were closed and she was covered in faeces from the waist down.
The flatmate told the cat’s owner it needed to be seen by a vet. The flatmate then took Vendetta to the vet himself.
The vet reported Vendetta was seriously underweight, couldn’t stand and didn’t respond to sound or touch, the SPCA said. Vendetta’s body temperature was so cold it did not register on a thermometer.
Vendetta’s teeth were fractured - which the vet said would have required “significant force to attain”, the SPCA said, and its skin was scalded on its thighs.
The vet reported Vendetta was suffering from hypothermic shock from severe dehydration, loss of body mass, oral trauma and skin ulcers.
The SPCA inspector then took Vendetta into its care and took it for further vet exams at the Christchurch Centre.
A Christchurch man’s ill-treatment of a cat, Vendetta, that had 13 fractures, was very thin and had blood coming from its mouth, and his failure to get it treated has landed him seven months' home detention. Photo / SPCA
Radiographs of its body showed it was 2.12kg, lower than the average weight of a female cat. It also revealed it had 13 fractures; on its ribs, forelimbs, feet, pelvis and teeth. The vet found some of Vendetta’s injuries were from about two months before being brought in, others were more recent.
“I have never seen so many bone fractures in a single animal in my entire career, which included almost 15 years of emergency and critical care practice,” the vet said.
“This level of pain would have been obvious to any layperson in that Vendetta would have been very reluctant to move at all and would have avoided physical contact or reacted negatively when touched.”
Vendetta got pain relief and recovery treatment but was eventually euthanised due to the severity and number of its injuries, the SPCA said.
When the SPCA interviewed Vendetta’s owner, he said he thought he may have contributed to some of the injuries by being too rough but was not sure what exactly he did to cause them, the SPCA said.
SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood was appalled by the severity of Vendetta’s injuries and the ongoing suffering it endured during its time with its owner.
Westwood said: “This is one of the most horrendous cases that we’ve seen in recent times. Vendetta entered this man’s care as a normal, healthy cat and had the most horrific treatment which ultimately ended her life.
“Her pain and suffering could have easily been avoided and the level of cruelty and lack of care in this case is difficult to comprehend.
“We are so grateful that the [flatmate] took action by getting Vendetta to a vet clinic, where she received the urgent treatment she needed. At least we can take solace in the fact she was in the safe hands of the veterinary team and SPCA, and received loving care in her final moments.”
Vendetta’s owner was sentenced at the Christchurch District Court and was ordered to pay the SPCA reparations of $1525 along with $500 to the society’s legal fees.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
