An inquisitive little cat got himself in trouble while exploring his neighborhood. After sliding in paint, the feline left the house white as snow but returned completely brown and wet.
The event upset the cat’s owner, who urged people to care more when painting their fences.
George, the kitten, lives with Jemma Mossop and her family in Morecambe, England. The six-month-old puss usually strolls late in the garden and the nearby homes before going to bed.
The paint mishap
One night at 11.15 PM, Jemma was startled when she spotted the usually white kitty covered head to toe in a brown hue. Since it was raining heavily that night, the owner initially thought it was mud, but the haircoat felt greasy to the touch.
Upon a closer look, the 32-year-old photographer identified a thick dark brown oil-based dye covering her cat’s damp hair coat, according to her, it was paint.
The paint had splattered poor George’s face so he was struggling to open his eyes. Jemma and her husband immediately took George to the emergency vet to get him examined.
The veterinarian wiped down the cat with cloths and towels. Because the haircoat was too tinted to be cleaned, the vet had to chop the affected strands off.
Apart from the paint getting in the animal’s eyes, the vet pointed out the risk of animals ingesting the toxic chemical while grooming themselves.
Jemma told Newsweek:
“We were there around two hours trying to clean him in an incredibly slow process of shampooing and wiping him down with cloths and towels and clipping off his fur as the oil slick came away.”
George was a cooperative patient, which helped the cleaning process and avoided the need for anesthesia. After his forced haircut, the kitty returned home feeling and looking much better.
As for Jemma, she was less than pleased by the incident. She stated that one of her neighbors had left a tin of paint in their yard without the lid, prompting George to take a look.
Jemma issues a warning
The British photographer is encouraging others not to keep open paint cans in their yard to prevent other animals from playing with them. She took her Facebook page to share the following message:
“If you’re using paints or stains in the garden to brighten things up for summer…. put the lids on or put them away overnight!”
Jemma expressed her frustration further, writing:
“Even if you hate cats – this could have been a hedgehog, a squirrel, a fox, or any other little garden critter, all because someone couldn’t be [bothered] tidying up their creosote.”
The photographer admitted George was lucky because she found him early when going to the bathroom, but things might have been different.
It’ll take months for the cat’s fur to grow back, and to lose his brown hue, but he will be fine.