A PET cat required surgery after he returned home with multiple broken bones in his foot.

Nine-year-old domestic short-hair Simba required intricate surgery to pin the fractured metatarsals in his left hind paw and spent six weeks in a plaster cast after suffering the injuries in a mysterious incident while out during the night.

Simba has since recovered, aided by the treatment he received at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester.

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James Grierson, head of orthopaedics at Anderson Moores, took charge of the case. An RCVS and European Specialist in small animal surgery, he said: “Simba had gone out one evening and came back non-weight bearing on his left hind leg the following morning.

“X-rays showed he had somehow managed to fracture his left metatarsals (paw bones), which required surgery. Whilst this is not a common injury in cats, it is one we have seen and treated many times before and the most likely cause is a cat getting their foot stuck in a fence or hole and falling sharply.

“Assisted by my colleague Juan Carlos Sandoval, our resident in small animal surgery, I operated to pin his metatarsals II, III and IV with a dowel and then put him in an external cast.

“The surgery went really well and Simba was discharged the following day with strict instructions he be kept rested in a cage until the fracture healed. At his six-week post-operative check-up, Simba had follow-up x-rays, which showed the fractures were healing nicely and he was using his leg again and fully weight-bearing.”

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Simba’s owner, Jerry Goddard, wanted to thank the Anderson Moores team. He said: “Simba is indeed mending nicely and we’re very thankful for his care and treatment at Anderson Moores.

“We’re also lucky he has such a lovely temperament. I think most cats would have gone bonkers by now having been confined to the dining room for so long!

“He’s been a bit stir crazy at times but he’s out of plaster now and only wearing a big protective neck collar when he’s unsupervised and is recovering very well.”