Kitten’s Near-Fatal Encounter with Food Netting Prompts Holiday Pet Safety Alert

Pet owners are being advised to exercise caution during the Christmas period following an incident where a kitten nearly died after consuming netting from a roast beef. Bear, a six-month-old kitten, ingested leftovers at owner Joshua Simpson’s residence in Darlington on last Boxing Day. He underwent a five-hour surgical procedure to save his life; however, the obstruction was so severe that a section of his intestines had to be removed. Mr Simpson stated: “We felt awful, so now we’re careful to put everything away immediately and never leave food or leftovers out.” At the time Bear fell ill, Mr Simpson, 32, was unemployed and unable to cover the veterinary expenses. The kitten subsequently received treatment from a PDSA vet in Middlesbrough, where an X-ray confirmed the presence of a blockage. Vet Gabrielle Fish commented that witnessing the relief and happiness when animals are reunited with their owners constitutes the most rewarding aspect of her profession. She added: “The operation took nearly five hours, thankfully we were able to remove all the string but we also had to remove two inches of Bear’s intestines that were too damaged to be repaired.” Bear has since made a complete recovery, and Mr Simpson, who is now employed again, is preparing to celebrate his second Christmas with his cherished cat. “Bear is incredibly important to us, he’s so loving and he makes you smile even on the toughest days,” he shared. “One of his favourite tricks is trying to dunk his head in the flour when we’re cooking.” The charity indicated its expectation to attend to approximately 23,000 pets throughout the two-week Christmas season. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.