4-year-old cat Kensi, from Slough, 'lucky to be alive' after being impaled by wooden spike

An investigation has been launched after a pet cat returned to her home in Slough impaled with a wooden spike – which narrowly missed her vital organs.

The feline, named Kensi, staggered home to her owners in Cippenham Lane last Friday morning (June 28) managing to pull herself through the cat flap, run upstairs and jump on her owners bed, despite her severe injury.

A 30cm long and sharpened wooden stick with string tied around it had impaled four-year-old Kensi’s body through her side, above her liver, and could be seen almost protruding through the skin at her neck.

Her shocked owners immediately rushed her to a vet where she underwent emergency lifesaving surgery, which revealed the stick had punctured her diaphragm and damaged her thorax.

Owner Kim Lawrence said: “Our whole family is just so shocked and upset by what has happened to Kensi, she’s the most affectionate, loving cat and she didn’t deserve this. It is a miracle she is still alive.

“She’s brought up local orphaned kittens in the past and been a companion for our elderly blind dog who passed away recently.

“She’s such a special girl and it is horrible to think somebody may have done this to her on purpose.

“She never strays very far from our garden and stays close by to our second cat who is her daughter, so I can’t imagine where this happened.

“It makes me sick to think somebody may have deliberately targeted such a loving cat.”

RSPCA Inspector Rebecca Timberlake who is investigating said: “This is completely shocking and very disturbing, poor Kensi must have been in so much pain. Thank goodness she managed to get herself home where her owners were able to get her urgent vet treatment which undoubtedly saved her life.

“At the moment we’re not sure how this happened, whether it was an accident and Kensi somehow fell onto the sharp stick, or if it was something more sinister.

“There is the possibility this may have been done on purpose to harm her.”

Thankfully, Kensi is making good progress recovering in veterinary care, requiring extensive treatment in order to save her life.

Veterinary surgeon Katie Haught, of Alma Veterinary Hospital, in Windsor, who is treating Kensi, said: “It’s difficult to say for sure how this happened to sweet Kensi, but we do know the stick appears to have been modified by someone, it resembles a spear-type shape with string wrapped around it, with one end appearing to be sharpened.

“We are concerned that there may have been malicious intent in her injury.

“The stick was very firmly wedged inside Kensi’s abdomen and chest, and she underwent major surgery but luckily it missed all her vital organs.

“Thankfully Kensi is responding very well to treatment – she’s a very lucky cat.”

Anyone with information is being urged to contact police on 101 or the RSPCA anonymously on 0300 123 8018.