Owners horrified as cat almost drowned in shocking paint attack

AUSTRALIA - The RSPCA will investigate after a cat was allegedly pinned down and sprayed with red paint in Knoxfield.

Casey Thomson said she woke yesterday morning to find her beloved cat Jett, 4, “absolutely saturated head to tail” in paint in a shocking case of animal cruelty.

“Some horrible, low life scum took my handsome, beautiful cat from my home, pinned him down and tried to drown him with red paint,” Ms Thomson wrote on Facebook.

Jett was taken to a vet and had his fur completely shaved.

“He’s now being a trooper and fighting for his life at the vet,” Ms Thomson wrote.

Casey’s mum, Linda, said the family “had no beef” with any of their neighbours and believed little Jett was the victim of a random attack.

“I have no idea who would do such a horrible thing. I can’t fathom who would be so cruel and do something so malicious,” she said.

She said Jett and the family’s other cat, Billie, were kept inside most of the night before being let out in early in the morning.

Ms Thomson said the even coverage of paint was an indication Jett had been sprayed at fairly close range and did not have the opportunity to escape the attack.

“The vet said (the paint job) was so even that he’d obviously been well and truly sprayed and they’d concentrated on his face and his bottom,” she said.

Ms Thomson said Jett had been sedated at the vet to stop him from licking the paint and “tearing out” tufts of fur. He has been completely shaved, but there are still traces of paint on his skin.

“It’s just a waiting game to see how much (of the paint) has got into his blood stream or whether he’s got any ulcers that are going to come up as a result of the paint,” Ms Thomson said.

“He’s not got off Casey’s bed (since he got home) — he just sits there shaking.”

Ms Thomson said the vet provided a sample of Jett’s paint-covered fur in a bid to help the RSCPA catch the culprit.

RSPCA inspectorate manager Allie Jalbert said they were investigating and urged anyone with information to come forward.

“If it was a prank, it was a sick one,” she said. “No animal should be put through such a distressing ordeal.”

A person found guilty of cruelty against animals can face up to one year’s jail time, a fine of over $37,000 and a maximum banning order which prevents them from owning or being in charge of animals for 10 years.

(Herald Sun - Sept 13, 2015)