Pet owner urges gardeners to cap bamboo canes, after cat skewered in chest

By Charlotte Edwards

A cat owner is urging gardeners to make sure bamboo canes are safely capped after his cat nearly died when a bamboo cane pierced his chest.

His owner, Mark Rozier, 51, said: “I heard a terrible scream at 4am and immediately knew something was seriously wrong.

“I followed the screaming sound into the back garden, where I saw Shadow on top of the back wall.

“He had something sticking out of him and was clearly in distress, continuing to call out.”

At first Shadow ran off and Mr Rozier desperately searched for him, but the distressed cat eventually returned to the garden, allowing Mr Rozier to clearly see the bamboo cane piercing his chest.

He said: “It was an absolute horror to see, we honestly thought he wouldn’t make it.

“We quickly rang the PDSA Pet Hospital in Thamesmead, who told us to bring him in immediately.”

It remains a mystery how three-year-old Shadow, from Plumstead, became skewered by the 10-inch piece of cane.

Thankfully the plucky puss made a full recovery owing to the expertise of vet charity PDSA, based in Eynsham Drive, Abbey Wood.

PDSA Vet Malcolm Fletcher said: “The X-rays revealed the bamboo stick had gone in between two ribs and punctured the chest wall.

“This allowed air into the space between the wall of the chest and the lungs themselves, causing Shadow’s lung to begin to collapse.”

Shadow required urgent surgery to remove the stick and repair the damage. His distraught owners were warned that he could die from this injury.

Thanks to the PDSA vet team’s efforts, Shadow’s surgery went well. Much to Mr Rozier’s delight, Shadow was able to go home the very next day with pain relief, antibiotics, and instructions to rest.

Mr Rozier said: “We’re extremely grateful to PDSA for saving Shadow’s life, the team did a fantastic job.

“I have all my bamboo canes capped and would encourage all gardeners to do the same for safety.”

For more information about the PDSA and pet health advice, visit www.pdsa.org.uk

Pictured top: Shadow being treated by vets (Picture: PDSA)