A mum was left distraught when her nine-month-old kitten had to have its tail amputated after getting caught in the mechanism of a reclining sofa.
The ragdoll kitten Mable was trapped and in agony for around 20 minutes when her tail was trapped in the settee's powered mechanism.
Owner Rosie Stockdale heard Mabel scream out in pain and rushed over to see her tail was crushed and bleeding. Rosie said: "She was left with a limp, bloodied tail. It was horrific."
She managed to free Mabel and rush her to the vet's for surgery but it was touch-and-go whether she would have to be put to sleep due to suspected nerve damage.
Rosie has been left with a vet's bill of just under £800 for the surgery, aftercare, antibiotics, and pain relief. Sadly, it is thought that Mabel will be left with lifelong damage to her bladder function.
Mum-of-two Rosie, 29, of Oakes, Huddersfield, wants to warn people to take extra care with pets around reclining sofas. She says Mable became trapped after moving behind the sofa before it was opened into the recline position.
"I heard (her) screaming and I didn’t know what the best thing to do, whether it was to recline it up or down.
"After 20 mins of trying to release Mable, she was released with a limp bloodied tail and taken to the emergency vets."
Rosie has urged sofa companies to issue clear warnings to customers about the potential dangers to pets from reclining seats.
She did some online research and discovered several cats and dogs have been injured in similar accidents with reclining sofas and chairs.
Rosie was already aware of the risks and says she always checks underneath when closing the recliner, but on this occasion she says the accident happened unexpectedly when the chair was being opened.
She says Mabel has been left traumatised by her ordeal, adding: "It is going to be traumatic for the rest of her life. She won't come near me. I wonder if she thinks that I have done this to her.
"She used to be loving and so close but now just sits there with a cone on her neck. She has gone through trauma."
