April 15, 2023 7.00 am This story is over 16 months old

Cat owner’s heartbreak after pet put down ‘without her knowing’

Jayne is urging people to think before they act

A cat owner in Lincoln is urging people to think before they act after claiming her beloved pet was put down ‘without her knowing’.

It is believed that Jayne Fisk’s 20-year-old cat Splat was mistaken for a stray and handed over to vets before being put to sleep.

Jayne told BBC Look North: “We just couldn’t believe that they would do this. I mean we knew she was elderly, but family wise it’s just heartbreaking.

“I just can’t get the picture out of my head of her looking thinking ‘where are my humans?’. That two hours for her must have been awful.”

A member of the public posted photos on Facebook saying Splat looked ‘old, thin and slow but not distressed’. It was seen by a cat charity who took her to the vets, but they were unable to find her microchip.

Jayne Fisk was left heartbroken after her cat Splat was put down. | Screenshot: BBC Look North

Jayne said: “No cat on this earth can go and buy itself a collar so the fact that she had that new collar, to me and to most people I know, just shows that no way was she a stray.

“I think people just need to step back, especially if a cat is wearing a collar. It’s so easy just to put a picture on Facebook.

“It’s not going to bring her back, me battling for her, but if I can stop it happening to one other cat, and one other family, because this has been absolutely heartbreaking for us.”

BBC Look North said the charity which took Splat said it did so because she appeared to be very sick. The vet also said the cat presented as very unwell and they wanted to prevent further suffering, BBC added.

MyLocal Lincolnshire is the new home of The Lincolnite. Download the app now