A beloved family pet has been left with multiple injuries and a feed tube after a "brutal attack" in a Co Down village.
One-year-old Tig was found by her family with damage to her face and head after returning to her home in Kinallen after getting out on Monday.
Owner Tanya Hull said she now has to feed the cat via a tube every four hours due to the extent of her injuries - causing both emotional and financial stress for her family.
Read more: Bramble attacked by lurchers 10 weeks ago has recovered and been adopted
Tig acts as a therapy cat for Tanya's 14-year-old daughter.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Tanya said: "We had gone out and Tig normally doesn't leave my daughter's side and wouldn't leave the house but she must have got out - maybe to try and look for my daughter.
"We came back and couldn't find her and I called the cats to feed them and could hear a wee cry outside and thought she had got into the shed.
"I shouted for my daughter that Tig was outside and she couldn't get over the fence and the next thing she scrambled over the fence with her jaw and tongue hanging down and covered in blood before collapsing."
Tanya originally thought she has maybe been hit by a car but after taking her to the vet, they believed that due to the extent of the injuries and where they are it was "highly unlikely a vehicle had caused them".
"The vet kept her in overnight to stabilise her and give her pain medication and the next day she was stable enough for the operation. They had to wire the front bottom of her jaw together because it had split in half, cut the dead and damaged skin off her tongue because her teeth had gone right through.
"The bone on the right-hand side of her jaw is crumbled into pieces and they can't put a plate on that or a pin into it because there is nothing there to hold it," she explained.
Tanya was told her best option was to send Tig for a specialist surgery that could cost up to £4000.
At the minute, Tig cannot eat or drink without assistance so is being fed through a tube that was inserted into her neck every four hours.
She added: "Tig is extremely friendly - she goes straight up to people and will just roll on to the ground to get her belly rubbed."
Tanya is still left unsure about what has happened to Tig and is hoping that someone will have information on whether she was attacked by another animal or a human.
"If anyone hears anything or has seen anything, please let me know. A lot of people have said about getting her put down and not to spend that money on a cat but my daughter wouldn't survive without that cat."
If you would like to donate to help with Tig's vet fund, see here.
Read more: 33 huge gigs happening in Belfast this summer
Read more: Young mum advertises for dog cuddles to help her cope with grief
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
