Cat dies after being caught in animal trap

Whitehouse Park resident Robert Jones contacted the Times this week to warn people that someone in the area is setting traps, possibly for foxes.

Mr Jones, an operations manager at Belfast City Hospital, said that he and his wife had their cat, Lucy for 16 years and loved her dearly. He explained how Lucy had arrived home on Saturday, March 30 and he’d noticed that one of her legs had been “almost torn off” and another foot seriously injured

“We took her to the vet and they said that she’d probably been injured in a trap that had been set for a fox or a rat,” he said.

“Her leg was so badly damaged that what was left of it would’ve needed to be amputated. Her leg was snapped at the thigh, her foot on the left was missing. With her trying to get free she’d torn all the fur off her left leg, leaving only crushed and broken bone.”

Lucy had also suffered serious crush injuries to another foot, and the decision was taken the following day to put her out of her suffering.

“Lucy was horrifically wounded and ultimately this trap took her life. I’m afraid that something like this could happen to someone else’s cat or dog, so I just want to warn other pet owners about this as we would rather that other people didn’t have to go through the same pain we’ve been through,” he added.

Mr Jones claimed that whoever set the trap had shown a “total disregard for pet owners in the area”.

“I don’t know why anyone would want to trap a fox or hurt any animal, it just doesn’t make sense to me.

“Whoever set these traps needs to consider that other people in the area have pets and they also need to be aware that young children are playing in the area

“It’s been very distressing. My wife and myself have been through a lot of pain over the past few days and we wouldn’t want anyone else to have to go through the same thing.”