Appeal after Polegate family’s cat is shot

An appeal is underway after a family’s cat was shot and injured so badly, the vet’s bill for treating him is running into thousands of pounds.

Chester belongs to the Dzendzera family who live in Polegate and is believed to have been shot at by someone with either a shotgun or air gun.

Owner Ben said the five-year-old Maine Coon has a broken leg in several places and is currently awaiting an operation to remove a pellet and fix the breaks.

Ben said, “This will mean taking some bone from his shoulder and having some pins. It’s quite a serious operation and they think he will have to stay in a cage for six to 12 weeks. I just don’t know how he will cope as he loves to spend all day outdoors or following the family around to be with us.”

Ben said although the family has pet insurance for treatment for Chester, the final bill is likely to be in the region of £8,000 upwards and he has launched an appeal on GoFundMe to help raise the money.

He said, “I have thought long and hard about setting up a page like this. On one hand I feel bad as there are people in this world who are a lot worse off than me. But in these current times I just don’t have anywhere near enough money to pay for this. My wife doesn’t work as she looks after our two amazing kids and I am currently furloughed not knowing if I will have a job to return to.

“I have had cats all my life and know it’s important to have them insured, I thought £4,000 sounded like a good amount of cover and it kept monthly payments down, but it just isn’t anywhere near enough.

“It won’t even cover the main operation and I have already paid for consultations, x-rays and medication.

Chester the cat who was shot in Polegate SUS-200422-151216001

“Going forward he is going to need a lot of care, visits to the vet and pain relief. Chester is the same age as my daughter and they have grown up together. Both her and my two-year-old son adore Chester and you can tell he loves them too.

“He is a big powerful cat and although he likes a good romp with me he has never hurt my children, even when they have been all over him. He is a massive part of our family and means the world to us. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him.”

Ben’s GoFundMe page is called Someone shot my cat.