Another beloved feline has been subject to abuse by unknown malicious attackers. Nikité Theunissen had to put her fur-baby to sleep after Willow came home with a pulverised jaw after a few days of wandering. Herman, her father, shared the harrowing story with the Roodepoort Record.
“I am willing to try anything to warn fellow neighbours in our area in Horizon View,” swore Herman.
He relays the story of how his daughter’s cat went missing the weekend of August 25, an unusual occurrence as her cat never missed a meal at home.
“Tuesday morning [August 29] Willow literally dragged himself home – with what must have been his last strength as he was very badly injured,” he continued.
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The family immediately rushed to their vet and it was then that they received the heartbreaking news.
“The vet asked us what had happened to our cat as his injuries were not from an animal attack but were consistent with abuse,” recounted Herman, “His jaw had been totally crushed and his teeth all knocked out as if somebody took a boot, a brick, a pipe or something hard and beat him to a state of near death.”
Unfortunately, Herman stated that the vet confirmed there was nothing that they could do to save the jaw as it was crushed beyond repair and he was in extreme and excruciating pain.
“Willow should not by all rights have had enough energy to make it home in – which he did,” he added.
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“In one foul swoop from a horrible human being I watched my daughter’s heart break as we had to make the hardest choice to put him to sleep,” exclaimed Herman, “to us, as a household, our animals are not just pets but they are family who just speaks a different language.”
Herman has since requested all the CCTV footage or information about Willow’s attack, and is determined to try and investigate and retrace the cat’s steps in the hopes of identifying a culprit in the area.
“If this is the case, I hope to warn others and have such a person suffer the repercussions of their half-human actions,” concluded Herman.
If anyone in the community has seen any suspicious activity of someone harming an animal, they are encouraged to report it to the SPCA or email the Record at nicola@caxton.co.za to help raise awareness.
