Leamington family’s search for woman who helped save ‘bionic kitty’

Now Soot’s grateful owners are hoping the mystery woman who found him in the gutter and carried him to their house will get in touch so they can thank her properly.

And what a Christmas present it was for 11-year-old Amy-Louise Cox when her beloved Soot was saved from death by the quick work of a vet.

Amy-Louise’s mum Bev said the drama unfolded on Christmas Eve afternoon when they opened the front door of their home in Saltisford Gardens, Warwick.

She said: “Soots was crying like a baby and his legs were just hanging. The back of him was crushed.

“But in all the rush we didn’t get the chance to thank the young lady.

“If it hadn’t been for her Soot would died, not only from his injuries and shock, but he would have frozen to death in the roadside – it was so cold that night.”

“I hope she can come back so we can thank her – I would love to do that.

“It’s so nice to think that there are still decent people about.”

The family rushed him to the Animal House, Emscote Road, Warwick, where vet Paula Bailey tended to his injuries, which included two broken legs and a broken pelvis.

Bev said: “It is quite simply a miracle that he is still with us.

“The vet came so close to putting him down because Soot was in such a bad way.

“But she said the fact that they had an awful Christmas Eve because they had to put some pets down and Amy-Louise was in floods of tears and that the vet herself had had a cat just like Soot who had got run over and she had not been given the chance to save him, she felt she had to do something.

“It was touch and go - Soot was too ill even to be operated on for several days and I cannot thank the staff who looked after him during the holidays enough, they were truly wonderful.”

Soot, aged nearly two, is now back home and still getting into mischief after ten days of veterinary care and with some additions – metal plates to hold him together.

Soot shares the family home with his mum Penny, two rabbits, fish, a hamster and a tortoise of unknown age – and Bev’s husband Graham and their son Thomas, aged 17.

Bev said: “Amy-Louise is so glad to have him home.

“I don’t know about Soot using up one of his lives – he used up all nine of them.

“We took in his mum Penny and then found out she was pregnant – Soot was the runt of the litter. He’s a real character and will have a quality of life even though he will not be able to walk properly.

“He has so much metal holding him together he has been nicknamed by our friends as the bionic kitty.”