Cat skewered in chest by bamboo saved by PDSA Vets

A cat owner from London is urging gardeners to make sure plant support canes are safely stored or capped as they clear gardens this autumn, after his cat nearly died when a bamboo cane pierced his chest.

It remains a mystery as to how three-year-old Shadow, from Plumstead in South East London, became skewered by the 10-inch piece of cane. But thankfully the plucky puss made a full recovery thanks to the expertise of leading vet charity PDSA and with support from players of People's Postcode Lottery, who supported the cost of pain relief and antibiotics for Shadow.

His owner, Mark Rozier (51) explained what happened: "I heard a terrible scream at 4am and immediately knew something was seriously wrong. I have lung disease, which often means I struggle to get to sleep at night. So I was awake when I heard it and immediately got up and ran to my kids' bedroom to check they were ok.

"The kids were still fast asleep, so I followed the screaming sound into the back garden, where I saw Shadow on top of the back wall. He had something sticking out of him and was clearly in distress, continuing to call out."

At first Shadow ran off and Mark desperately searched for him, but thankfully the distressed cat eventually returned to the garden, allowing Mark to clearly see the bamboo cane piercing deep into his chest. He said: "It was an absolute horror to see, we honestly thought he wouldn't make it. We quickly rang the PDSA Pet Hospital in Thamesmead, who told us to bring him in immediately."

At PDSA, which provides free and low-cost care to sick and injured pets in need, vets were shocked to see what had happened to Shadow and quickly got to work.

PDSA Vet Malcolm Fletcher said: ""The X-rays revealed the bamboo stick had gone in between two ribs and punctured the chest wall. This allowed air into the space between the wall of the chest and the lungs themselves, causing Shadow's lung to begin to collapse."

Shadow required urgent surgery to remove the stick and repair the damage; his distraught owners were warned that he could die from this injury. The air was drained from Shadow's chest, and the wound in his chest wall was carefully stitched to allow the lung to re-inflate and prevent any further collapse.

Mark added: "Shadow isn't just a pet, he's a family member and we couldn't imagine our lives without him. He brings so much comfort to all of us, so we were devastated when we were told he might not make it."

Thanks to the PDSA vet team's efforts, Shadow's surgery went well – despite the high risk. After an overnight stay at the Pet Hospital, he was on the road to recovery. Much to Mark's delight, Shadow was able to go home the very next day with pain relief, antibiotics, and instructions to rest.

Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery, said: "We know just how important pets are to their loving families, and how incredibly distressing it can be when they suffer an accident. Last year funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery helped over 85,000 PDSA pet patients with the cost of pain relief. Support from our players ensures that pets like Shadow can get the urgent help they need quickly and easily."

Mark continued: "We're extremely grateful to PDSA for saving Shadow's life, the team did a fantastic job. We still don't know exactly how Shadow got impaled – we think he must have landed on an upright piece of bamboo stick in a neighbouring garden, broken it off and somehow managed to keep moving with the stick in his body. I have all my bamboo canes capped and would encourage all gardeners to do the same for safety."

Shadow is now fully recovered and loves relaxing in Mark's garden, but he doesn't go far from home these days and is always inside by 10pm.

PDSA is the vet charity for pets in need, providing free and low-cost vet care when owners are struggling financially. Through its 49 Pet Hospitals it sees 11 pets every minute, helping to keep pets and people together. It receives no government funding for its vital work, relying entirely on public donations and support from players of People's Postcode Lottery.

For more information and pet health advice, visit www.pdsa.org.uk