Cat Missing for 5 Days Left With Horrific Injury by 'Inhumane' Rabbit Snare

A cat that got caught in a rabbit snare has only just escaped with her life.

CupCake, known fondly as C.C., went missing from her home in Canterbury, southeastern England, for five days. Incredibly, C.C. did return home, but owner Karen Gunn knew right away that something was wrong.

She took the lethargic C.C. to a nearby vet, who made a horrifying discovery—she had been caught in a rabbit snare, a simple trapping device often used to capture the wild mammals and other small game animals.

A method used for centuries by hunters, the snare typically consists of a noose made from a strong but flexible wire or cord formed into a loop. Set up along a common rabbit path, like a burrow entrance, when the animal walks through the loop, it tightens around its body, trapping it.

While the devices are legal for certain types of game animals in some states, the use of a snare is heavily regulated with restrictions on size, material and location.

The device had wrapped so tightly around C.C.'s waist that it was buried beneath her fur and hard to see. As the cat struggled to get free, the snare had cut deeper into her skin.

Thanks to the owner's quick actions and treatment funded by the U.K. animal charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), vets were able to save C.C.'s life.

The snare was carefully removed, and C.C.'s wounds were cleaned and dressed before she was treated with antibiotics.

**Warning: Graphic image**

Trapped in a Snare

"If C.C. hadn't managed to get herself home, I don't bear to think about what would have happened to her," said owner Gunn in a statement. "It's possible she spent five whole days trapped in that snare, trying to wiggle herself free."

Sadly, C.C. isn't the only cat with a heartbreaking story. In June, a rescue cat made an incredible recovery after being found severely burned in a driveway.

Recently, Wales in the U.K. has committed to a full ban on all snares, but in England and Scotland, they remain legal for use, putting wild, farmed and companion animals at risk.

PDSA Veterinary Surgeon, Lynne James, said: "Unfortunately, we do see cases like C.C's across our 48 pet hospitals, and we firmly believe there needs to be a ban on snares. Snares are inhumane; catching a range of wild and domestic animals, including protected species and beloved family pets, often resulting in severe injury or death.

"Animals caught in snares naturally panic and struggle to break free. This causes the snare to cut deeper into the skin and flesh, seriously harming the animal," James added. "Unless found, animals suffer horrendously, possibly for many hours, before they die."