New home for pregnant cat who had fur plucked off

A pregnant kitten who was forcibly held down by her owner while he plucked fur from her is now enjoying life in a new, loving home, according to an animal charity.

RSPCA officers were called to an apartment in Manchester after a neighbour witnessed what happened.

"When I first saw her, I was shocked at her lack of fur," new owner Kathy Miller, from Cheadle, Staffordshire, said.

"I knew from the website she had very little, but in real life all she had was a tuft at the end of her tail, it was like a pom-pom.

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"I was told what had happened and it just made me sick to think of all the pain and suffering she must have gone through while pregnant too."

When an RSPCA officer went to the apartment where the kitten used to live, they were shocked to find she had almost no fur on her entire body apart from the tuft on the top of her tail.

Inspector Jess Araujo said she had never come across a cat in her eight years in the role, who had been subjected to that kind of cruelty before.

"This must have been terrifying and painful for her," she said.

"She was also pregnant at the time, so the added stress of this would have been awful.

"She was pinned down, screaming in pain while this happened - and we are not sure how many times she was subjected to this treatment."

A vet suspected the abuse had happened on several previous occasions due to the extent of the fur that was missing.

Luthien was cared for by the RSPCA's Crewe and Nantwich branch, where she was rehabilitated and went on to give birth to four kittens of the own.

The youngsters were subsequently adopted before Luthien went on to find her new home.

A man was given a 12-month ban on keeping animals by magistrates, ordered to pay a £40 fine and £100 costs when he pleaded guilty to one animal welfare offence, the RSPCA said.

Araujo said how she was pleased with Lucien's transformation.

"She looks so well now, all her fur is back. She looks such a content cat and I am delighted for her," she added.

"It is the reason why we do this job so we can provide happy endings - which is just what she deserved after all she had been through."

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