A pet owner who poured boiling water over his innocent cat, leaving him with horrific burns, has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years. Ashley Porter, 30, pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences when he appeared in court.
The court heard how his black cat Shadow, aged seven, had extensive scald wounds across his head, neck, shoulders, body and legs and was unable to walk on his feet. Porter had initially claimed the cat had hooked his tail around a boiling kettle, which then fell on him.
But an independent veterinary expert told the court the evidence showed the injuries were caused by the water being deliberately poured on the poor black moggy.
They confirmed: "Unusually significant scalding had also occurred to the underside of the chest, inner aspect of both forelimbs and all four feet. The scald pattern is not consistent with the alleged accidental mechanism.
“Shadow would have suffered as a consequence of the scald injuries. Suffering would have been experienced by this animal via mechanisms of pain, skin irritation and distress for a period of at least five days, possibly longer.”
Porter was also given an 18-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and fines of £520 when he was sentenced at Manchester Magistrates' Court on August 23. The RSPCA said they were called to his address on January 19, 2020, after a member of the public reported that Shadow was suffering from serious injuries.
When there was no reply, inspectors telephoned Porter, but he refused to hand over his cat despite saying he was injured and “in excruciating pain”. Porter claimed he was making his own veterinary appointment for the following day.
But after the RSPCA officers found this wasn’t true, inspectors Catherine Byrnes and Helen Chapman returned to the property. This time Porter brought the cat to the door and agreed to hand him over for veterinary treatment.
Inspector Byrne said: “The poor cat had extensive untreated wounds across the whole of his body and on his face and ears. It appeared to be raw scald wounds and was clearly visible amongst the cat’s fur.
“The skin seemed to be sloughing off in places and an area of dried tissue was visible on the cat’s back. I could see the cat’s fur falling off in clumps.
“Mr Porter claimed that the cat called Shadow had ‘knocked over’ a kettle and that the hot water had fallen on him. He stated that he had no money to take to a local vet and agreed to allow us to take him for treatment.”
Shadow was rushed to Wendy Lane Vets in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, by the RSPCA, where the full extent of his injuries were revealed. They found Shadow had scalding across many different body regions, including his head, neck, right shoulder and side of the chest, while some of the claws on his feet had fallen off.
Inspector Catherine said: “When I took the cat from the pet carrier I noticed lots of fur coming off the cat and some that had fallen off inside the basket. The wounds were quite extensive, the largest of which was on his back and down his right side with some wounds obscured by his coat.
“There was a strong smell coming from the wounds. There was a wound behind the cat’s right ear, the skin and fur was falling off in a thick piece and I noticed puss underneath.
“Also noticeable now was a large raw scald wound extending from the inside of the pet’s right front leg across his chest to the inside of and down his left front leg. Shadow also had scalding on his feet and pads. The cat was walking gingerly and shaking his feet.
“The vet pointed out that the pet was also missing some toenails. It was obvious that the cat was in awful pain.”
The vet sedated the cat and clipped his coat, which exposed the full extent of his wounds. They were then cleaned and he was placed on a drip to recover.
And, amazingly, Shadow has gone on to make a good recovery and has been adopted into a loving home. He had to have the tip of one ear amputated as it was severely burned. There were fears he might also lose his right eye, but fortunately that was not necessary.
He now has to wear a special vest to stop him from scratching his healing wounds, but is enjoying his new life as a house cat. His new owner says he loves nothing more than to cuddle and show affection. Shadow was terrified of men for many months, but has now become more trusting and is enjoying life.
