LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock Animal services received a call that a cat was caught by a game trap in The Heights, near the intersection of Kavanaugh and Cantrell.
The male tabby cat was located by an officer but unable to catch the cat. It even jumped over a small wooden fence with the five-pound trap on his leg.
So the officer set a live trap to catch the cat humanely. The next morning, Feb. 14, he was caught.
Tracy Roark, Animal Services Manager at the City of Little Rock, said the cat was taken to surgery right away.
The veterinarian had to amputate the cat's leg from just below the elbow and said the cat had the trap on its leg for at least a week, causing the lower leg to die.
He said the cat will likely walk three-legged and lean on the elbow when needed.
The cat is recovering and will be neutered once its infection clears up. FURR, a local feline rescue, is going to help find him a home.
The game trap used is illegal to use without a permit from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and is never allowed in the Little Rock city limits.
"No animal should have to worry about getting their leg into one of these traps," Roark said. "Especially in our city where we love animals, and we work hard to make sure they're happy and healthy. It's upsetting."