Bradford Cat Watch Rescue speaks out on animal cruelty

Volunteers are witnessing a daily rise in neglect and willful abuse, Bradford Cat Watch Rescue & Sanctuary (BCWRS) warned. 

It is a week since the cat, named Willy Wonka, was discovered unable to sit up and hold his head up. 

He remains in the cat rescue’s critical care ward after undergoing steroid therapy.

He is also being fed through a syringe.

In an update, BCWRS said: “He had the most severe neurological symptoms, could not sit, stand or lift his head, could barely swallow and had absolutely no coordination.

Willy Wonka is finding his feet slowly (Image: BCWRS)

“He is much improved thanks to the amazing team at Northcote Veterinary Surgery.

“We can only assume he suffered a traumatic head injury as he has had an incredible response to the steroid therapy we have been giving him.

“Obviously you can see he still has a long road to recovery and may never fully recover.”

Founder Katie Lloyd described the situation as senseless.

It comes after another person asked the rescue to help after a cat struggled for a week with a broken leg. 

The cat, Levi, remains in intensive care with regular doses of intravenous fluid therapy, strong pain relief, and antibiotics.

It is hoped Levi will be strong enough for life saving surgery to amputate his leg. 

Katie said: “We’re just seeing more and more neglect and willful abuse every day. It really is senseless because I know we’ve got a cost of living crisis, I know there’s a vets shortage, but if people really want to get help they can get help.”

Sharing an important message on cat cruelty, she said: “It’s just, get to a vets, get help, because there’s just no excuse for this wilful cruelty and neglect. If you know something’s wrong, ask for help.”

It has been another difficult year for cat rescues with rising costs and increases in neglect.

In a recent incident, two kittens’ eyes had to be removed after an "absolutely horrendous" suspected attack in Bradford. 

Roman and Rolla were both around 10-weeks-old.

One of the most horrific cases at BCWRS was Rosa, who underwent first-of-its-kind surgery to mend her face and help her blink again.

Rosa the cat (Image: .)

Lead surgeon Gemma at Northcote Veterinary Surgery spent hours tracking down various specialists and referral centres, who had never seen injuries on this scale before.

She was found covered in a substance believed to be fibreglass resin or something similar.

In just a matter of weeks, the rescue spent £1,000 on specialist silicone dressings alone to aid Rosa’s healing.

Rosa recently found a new family to love her. 

For more information about Bradford Cat Watch Rescue and Sanctuary, visit www.bcwr-kittens.co.uk