Cat with missing ears not a victim of animal cruelty

The Rainbow Rehoming Centre posted images of the cat, called ‘Leah’ on Facebook, on Friday, claiming the cat had been “found badly injured” and had been “mutilated”.

People reacting to the story were led to believe the cat had its ears cut off on purpose and Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) put up a reward of £2,500 to find those responsible.

The Rainbow Rehoming Centre has since removed its original post, which included graphic images of the cat’s bloodied ears.

The animal shelter posted a messaged entitled ‘Update on Leah’ on Facebook on Saturday.

“We have consulted with our vets and there is no evidence that animal cruelty was involved in this case.

“We would like to thank those in the Ballynamore area that cared for both Leah and her kittens which resulted in Leah receiving the veterinary treatment she needed,” said the statement.

A relative of the elderly couple who looked after the cat contacted the Derry Journal on Monday to express her anger at Rainbow Rehoming Centre.

“I can’t believe this,” said the woman.

“My mother and father are in complete shock about what happened.

“This is a stray cat that my father had been feeding for the last six months. My father hasn’t been well and he is blind so we took the cat to the Rainbow Rehoming Centre.

“The cat’s ears looked to be infected – they had not been ‘mutilated’ as has been claimed by the Rainbow Rehoming Centre.

“The story on their Facebook page is completely misleading.”

The Journal attempted to contact Rainbow Rehoming Centre on a number of occasions on Monday but were unsuccessful.