Diego the cat is adjusting to life with three legs after being caught in a gin trap then having its front leg amputated.
The cat was handed to the Greymouth SPCA on July 26 and taken to West Coast Vets after being found with a mangled leg. Gin traps are illegal in New Zealand.
Owner Michael Knipe said the six-month-old cat had not been home for a few days, but the alarm was not raised until the SPCA Greymouth Facebook page mentioned the incident.
It was a bad week for Mr Knipe, who was also admitted to hospital, and soon after found his house had been burgled. He came home to learn that his cat had an injured leg that had to be amputated.
"The last four weeks, I've gone through hell."
However, when he went to the veterinarians he was pleasantly surprised to find that the bill had been paid.
"It was the best thing someone could have done for me. There's still people who care in this town."
Meanwhile, Diego is glad to be home again and is getting around well. "He's happy to be home and happy to be back on my bed."
The incident is the second in recent weeks involving gin traps.
A cat's leg had to be amputated after being caught in an illegal gin trap in west Auckland last month.
The front left leg was nearly severed by the trap, which had been left on Silverstone Place in Henderson.
The cat was found by members of the public who placed him in a washing basket and contacted the SPCA.
The trap had bitten down to the bone and the leg had to be amputated.
The Government restricted the sale and use of gin traps in 2008.
- The Greymouth Star