A kitten has survived life-threatening injuries after it was taken on a 40-mile journey after hiding under the bonnet of a neighbour’s car.
One-year-old tabby cat Chi, from Brighton, East Sussex, was given emergency care by vets at the PDSA after it was found trapped in the engine compartment.
The cat’s owner Kaylie Banks, 30, said the grill at the front of the car had to be removed to get her “stressed pet out”.
She said: “I returned home from work and Chi was nowhere to be seen. After turning the house upside down, I began knocking on my neighbours’ doors. No-one had seen her and I was beginning to get worried.
“One of my neighbours then approached me to say he had found Chi trapped under the bonnet of his car.
“He was driving home when he heard noises coming from the engine. Luckily, he stopped the car and after close inspection he saw little Chi lodged inside.
“She was very stressed and he had to take the grill off the front of the car to get her out.”
Chi was treated at the Brighton pet hospital run by the vet charity and was given pain relief while its wounds were assessed and then underwent an operation on burns to its body.
PDSA student vet nurse Sadie Reece said: “Chi’s wounds needed to be cleaned and repaired under anaesthetic. There was a large amount of dead tissue that needed to be removed.
“The operation was a success and we were able to clean and stitch the healthy tissue back together.”
A PDSA spokeswoman said: “After recovering from the procedure, Chi was able to go home, complete with a ‘buster’ collar to protect her injuries.
“Chi was also given antibiotics to treat infection and anti-inflammatory medication to help ensure she was pain-free while recovering.
“Chi’s wounds are now healing well and she is expected to make a full recovery, thanks to the expert care she received.”
Ms Banks added: “The staff at Brighton PDSA were amazing and treated Chi exceptionally well. It’s thanks to the team that she is recovering well and I am grateful to all who helped during what was a very stressful time for me and my family.”
The PDSA spokeswoman said the charity runs pet first aid courses and further information is available at its website www.pdsa.org.uk/firstaid
She added: “If your pet’s been injured, first aid can make a huge difference. Getting them to a vet practice as soon as possible should be the priority, but knowing the correct first aid can help keep them comfortable and reduce any further damage in the meantime. It can even mean the difference between life and death for your pet.”
