Centurion woman slapped with R18K bill after cat shot

Sharon Bezuidenhout’s cat was shot in the right leg on Sunday in Olive Street in Valhalla, Centurion, which left her with an R18,000 bill.

Bezuidenhout got an R8,000 bill when she fetched her cat, Serabi, from her veterinary on Wednesday afternoon.

She had already put down a R10,000 deposit when her cat was admitted for an operation to mend the badly fractured leg.

“The first vet quoted me R3,000 to amputate her leg, but I cannot just do that,” she said.

The cat owner said she felt very discouraged.

“I am a housewife, my husband is working abroad and he will only be paid when he returns in September. I don’t know what to do.”

Bezuidenhout described her cat as her companion who sleeps with her every night.

She said when she fetched her cat, the vet gave her a R2,000 discount on the R18,000, but she only has two months to come up the outstanding money, otherwise the discount will expire.

“I am a cardiac patient and haven’t been able to get my own medication, my diesel in my car is low, I don’t know how I will come up with the outstanding money.”

Bezuidenhout said she did not know who the culprit was, but suspects the person lives nearby.

“Serabi wouldn’t have been able to drag herself so far back home after she was shot,” she said.

“I cannot understand who would be so cruel to shoot someone’s cat.”

She said the bullet had not yet been removed and a plate was used to mend the leg.

This article first appeared on Rekord East and was republished with permission.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.