Wigan woman sentenced after failing to seek vet treatment for cat’s nose tumour (graphic image warning)

June Thistleton, 64, of Trent Road, Norley, was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 60 hours of unpaid work at Wigan Magistrates’ Court. She was also ordered to pay £200 costs.

The court heard that in January this year, after several appointments were cancelled by the owner, a cat was brought into the clinic at the RSPCA’s Wigan, Leigh and District Branch.

Oscar - a male domestic black and white cat - had such a severely ulcerated nasal lesion that sadly he had to be put to sleep.

A post-mortem examimation of the ulcer was taken and it was later found to be a malignant tumour.

Thistleton had pleaded guilty to causing the animal suffering by denying him treatment.

RSPCA inspector Rachel Whalley said: “When Thistleton called our Wigan branch clinic in late January ‘23 to make an appointment for Oscar, she told staff over the phone that ‘part of the cat’s nose has fallen’ off.

"She then cancelled a series of appointments, and the cat was finally brought into the vet clinic by another person three days later.

“When the vet examined Oscar, she found he was suffering from a large ulcerative lesion on his upper lip which extended to his nose which she suspected could be a cancerous tumour.

"Given the severity of the lesion, the severe and chronic pain this would have been causing the cat and the impossibility of being able to attempt treatment of the lesion without prolonging suffering, the vet decided that immediate euthanasia was in Oscar’s best interests.”

Insp Whalley added: “During my discussion with the defendant at her home, Thistleton claimed that she had not noticed Oscar’s lesion until very recently. However, this contradicted what a social worker told me.

"She had visited the house back in December and had noticed Oscar’s lesion at that time - more than a month before Oscar was eventually taken to the vet. She alleges that Thistleton told her she was going to take Oscar to the vet then said she couldn’t afford it.”

The vet who had examined Oscar reported that in her opinion, he had suffered chronic pain due to an untreated tumour on the nose and upper lip and his suffering would have been ongoing for many weeks.

She said: “I would expect a reasonable, and responsible pet owner to recognise a nasal defect such as this as being a potential cause of pain and would expect a pet owner to seek veterinary attention at a much earlier stage, when the lesion would have been much smaller.

"In addition, I would expect a pet owner to identify the other clinical signs Oscar was likely to have been exhibiting at home, such as sneezing, and reluctance to groom, or difficulty eating, and these issues should have also prompted the owner to seek veterinary attention. In failing to do so, Oscar’s owner has caused prolonged and severe suffering to him.”

The RSPCA has launched a cost of living hub to support owners who may be looking for support during the cost of living crisis.

Insp Whalley said: “It was Thistleton’s legal responsibility to care for her cat and she failed to do this. There was no excuse for failing to seek veterinary care for poor Oscar when it was abundantly clear that he so desperately needed it.

“This was a tragic case and simply shouldn’t have happened.

"The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their pet to ask for help, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.”