{"id":196098,"date":"2019-02-06T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/196098\/justice-wanted-for-wildchild-after-cruel-attack\/"},"modified":"2019-02-06T15:51:15","modified_gmt":"2019-02-06T13:51:15","slug":"justice-wanted-for-wildchild-after-cruel-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2019\/02\/06\/justice-wanted-for-wildchild-after-cruel-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice wanted for Wildchild after cruel pellet gun attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Wildchild, a gorgeous ginger cat, it\u2019s lucky that cats have nine lives, as he has used up a number of them.<\/p>\n

The two-year-old cat was recently shot with a pellet gun in the right eye and in his left front leg.<\/p>

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Wildchild\u2019s ordeal started when he went missing from his Elspark home on January 7.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realised he was gone that morning,\u201d said Marcel Labuschagne, Wildchild\u2019s owner.<\/p>

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\u201cIt was at a time when we were experiencing heavy storms in the area and although we searched for him, we couldn\u2019t find him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four days later, on January 10, Wildchild dragged himself back to the place he felt safe and protected \u2013 his home.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt about 6am on my birthday, Wildchild returned,\u201d Marcel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had been shot with a pellet gun resulting in him losing his eye and breaking his left front leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a miracle he made it home with his injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Wildchild shortly after being shot in the right eye and in his left front leg. He had to stay at a veterinary hospital for eight days.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A distraught Marcel immediately rushed Wildchild to the vet where he remained for eight days.<\/p>\n

He underwent an operation on his leg and pins and wires were installed, as well as the metal fragments from the object he was shot with removed.<\/p>\n

The vet also removed metal fragments from his damaged eye and sewed his third eyelid closed to aid with healing.<\/p>\n

This stitching has since been removed and he now has partial sight in the eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first after his operation he couldn\u2019t use his paw and we suspected radial nerve paralysis,\u201d said Marcel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI visited him twice a day and would massage his paw to try and help him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen one day, when he was sleeping and dreaming both his paws, started moving and I took this as a good sign.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wildchild can now walk again and use the paw, although he walks with a limp.<\/p>\n

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He will have the pins checked in his leg in six months and had the stitches removed from the leg on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The cost of his veterinary care has set Marcel back R7 000 so far.<\/p>\n

When Wildchild was about six weeks old he came into Marcel\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Marcel was travelling home from the coast when he stopped on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere for a break.<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard meowing coming from down an embankment and went to investigate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a tiny kitten covered in bugs at the bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marcel looked around for other cats or people who may have had some knowledge as to where he came from but eventually seeing no one he took Wildchild with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had my dog Slash in the car with us but he took to the kitten and the two get on fine,\u201d Marcel said.<\/p>\n