A CAT has suffered horrific injuries and needed a leg amputating after apparently having a lit firework strapped to its neck.

The sickening act of cruelty has shocked veterinary workers and members of the Cats R Us charity in Shildon who took the poorly feline to the Darlington Vet Clinic for urgent treatment today.

Clinic manager Louise Craggs said that cat’s injuries consisted of severe burns between its shoulder blades and a blast that has literally blown the muscles from its leg.

Vet Rebecca Bradley who operated on the cat believes that the injuries were most likely caused by a firework being tied round its neck and set alight.

Ms Craggs, who described the feline as a “lovely, friendly cat” said: “Unfortunately we have had to amputate his leg because the injuries were so horrendous.

“The muscle has been blasted away from his leg, leaving a huge flap of tissue that has basically just been rotting away.”

Ms Craggs descried the “horrendous stench” of the wound which had been left untreated for an estimated ten days.

Staff initially thought that the cat would not make it, but the surgery was a success and he is now recovering well.

“We’ve all got emotional and a bit attached to him,” said Ms Craggs, “He is so affectionate, he is gorgeous.”

The cat is a stray that had been previously neutered by the Cats R Us charity in Shildon and returns daily to the same person in the All Saint’s area of the town to be fed.

However he had not been seen for more than week until he managed to drag himself to his usual feeding place this morning with the devastating injuries.

Marion Maychell of Cats R Us said it “beggars belief” that somebody would inflict such pain on an animal.

She said: “This is the worst kind of thing that we have come across, something like this has been inflicted deliberately and for what reason?

“It is just senseless and I would say to whoever did it, have some heart, have some empathy, think of the pain you are inflicting on a poor defenceless animal and please don’t do it.”

The cat will remain in the immediate care of the Darlington Vet Clinic and will then be temporarily homed by a charity volunteer until a permanent home can be found for him.