Appeal after Polegate family’s cat is shot

An appeal is underway after a family’s cat was shot and injured so badly, the vet’s bill for treating him is running into thousands of pounds.
By AnneMarie Field
Published 22nd Apr 2020, 15:20 BST
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Chester belongs to the Dzendzera family who live in Polegate and is believed to have been shot at by someone with either a shotgun or air gun.

Owner Ben said the five-year-old Maine Coon has a broken leg in several places and is currently awaiting an operation to remove a pellet and fix the breaks.

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Ben said, “This will mean taking some bone from his shoulder and having some pins. It’s quite a serious operation and they think he will have to stay in a cage for six to 12 weeks. I just don’t know how he will cope as he loves to spend all day outdoors or following the family around to be with us.”

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Ben said although the family has pet insurance for treatment for Chester, the final bill is likely to be in the region of £8,000 upwards and he has launched an appeal on GoFundMe to help raise the money.

He said, “I have thought long and hard about setting up a page like this. On one hand I feel bad as there are people in this world who are a lot worse off than me. But in these current times I just don’t have anywhere near enough money to pay for this. My wife doesn’t work as she looks after our two amazing kids and I am currently furloughed not knowing if I will have a job to return to.

“I have had cats all my life and know it’s important to have them insured, I thought £4,000 sounded like a good amount of cover and it kept monthly payments down, but it just isn’t anywhere near enough.

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“It won’t even cover the main operation and I have already paid for consultations, x-rays and medication.

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Chester the cat who was shot in Polegate SUS-200422-151216001

“Going forward he is going to need a lot of care, visits to the vet and pain relief. Chester is the same age as my daughter and they have grown up together. Both her and my two-year-old son adore Chester and you can tell he loves them too.

“He is a big powerful cat and although he likes a good romp with me he has never hurt my children, even when they have been all over him. He is a massive part of our family and means the world to us. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him.”

Ben’s GoFundMe page is called Someone shot my cat.