A cat has survived horrific injuries after being caught in an illegal steel-jawed rabbit trap, in a case RSPCA Tasmania says shows the cruelty such devices can cause.
Sylvester was found trapped and unable to move, with the steel jaws clamped around his front right leg.
Rescuers freed him and rushed him to a vet, but the damage was too severe to repair.
Vets decided the “kindest option” was to amputate the leg.
The RSPCA said the decision was made “to end his suffering and give him the opportunity for a better future”.
Sylvester faced a slow recovery, needing weeks of treatment, rehabilitation and monitoring as he learned to walk on three legs.
The charity said his strength and confidence returned day by day.
“What began as a story of pain slowly became a story of healing and hope,” it said.
Sylvester has since been adopted and is now living in a new home.
Steel-jawed traps are illegal to use on animals in Tasmania and the RSPCA is using Sylvester’s case to warn about the harm they cause.
“His journey is a reminder that even animals facing devastating injuries can recover when given expert care, compassion and the chance to heal,” the RSPCA said.
