Cat loses one of her nine lives after plummeting from second-storey window in Thornliebank

A cat named Nugget has miraculously survived a 30-foot fall thanks to PDSA, the vet charity for pets in need.

A cat named Nugget has miraculously survived a 30-foot fall thanks to PDSA, the vet charity for pets in need.

The eight-year-old kitty cheated death by a whisker after plunging from the second-storey window of her owner Veronica Deary’s (38) apartment in Thornliebank.

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Nugget’s remarkable tale comes at a time when Scotland is facing crisis levels of ‘pet poverty’, according to figures released by PDSA. The charity is urging animal-lovers to support their Pet Care Crisis Emergency Appeal so they can continue to provide urgent care for much-loved pets like Nugget.

Explaining what happened, Veronica said that her 21-year-old son heard a scratching sound coming from his window late at night followed by a thud. They soon realised their beloved cat Nugget had plummeted to the ground.

Veronica said: “It was late at night, we were all horrified and in a complete panic thinking the worst. Nugget often sits happily by the window, so we couldn’t believe she’d fallen.

“We dashed downstairs worried about what we’d find. We were astonished to find her limping along, trying to get back home! She was very shaken and we were extremely worried she could have broken bones or suffered internal injuries.”

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Veronica rushed Nugget to an emergency vet where she was given pain relief, but was told that x-rays and treatment could cost over £1,000.

“We just couldn’t afford that kind of money,” added Veronica. “Thankfully we were referred to PDSA and Nugget was seen at the Pet Hospital.”

PDSA vet, Olivia Anderson-Nathan, said: “We x-rayed Nugget to check whether she had suffered any traumatic injuries but amazingly tests revealed she hadn’t broken a single bone! She is one incredibly lucky cat and the bruises and couple of scrapes to her face are the only signs of her remarkable tale of surviving a 30-foot fall! She will have been very sore from her bruises for the next few days but we were so pleased she was able to make a full recovery.”

Her owners were able to take Nugget home the same day with painkillers and strict instructions to keep her well-rested.

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Veronica added: “We’re so grateful to the fantastic team at PDSA – they were brilliant and we don’t know what we would have done without them. To have PDSA there for Nugget during this crisis meant so much, especially during lockdown when everything was particularly hard. We were over the moon that there were no serious injuries and she hadn’t broken anything. She’s already back to her normal self and we’re making sure that all windows are extra safe so this can’t happen again!”

Thanks to the vital work of PDSA’s vet team, Nugget was able to receive vital care she desperately needed.

Olivia added: “Nugget is just one of the thousands of pets we’ve treated since lockdown. From March to September this year, PDSA’s Pet Hospitals in Scotland carried out over 62,000 phone appointments, performed more than 1,000 emergency and essential operations and took 2,500 x-rays, caring for pets whose owners can no longer afford vet fees. It’s clear we’re experiencing the start of a pet welfare crisis, as a result of Covid-19.

“For many pets, like Nugget, whose owners are struggling financially, the PDSA Pet Hospitals in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh are their only emergency service.

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“Sadly, pets will continue to fall ill or get injured throughout this Coronavirus crisis and many owners will be in desperate need of our help due to changes in their financial circumstances. I know that Scotland is a country of pet lovers and I hope people will support PDSA’s Pet Care Crisis Emergency Appeal so that together we can reduce the impact of pet poverty caused by the pandemic.”

For more information on PDSA and the pet care crisis, click here

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