News

Aug 10, 2023

Vets pull 'huge' blade of grass from Nottingham cat's nose

A cat was saved by vets after a 10cm (4in) blade of grass became lodged in his nose, leaving him struggling to breathe and sneezing blood. Six-year-old Ginge appeared in owner Laura Mellors' garden as

A cat was saved by vets after a 10cm (4in) blade of grass became lodged in his nose, leaving him struggling to breathe and sneezing blood.

Six-year-old Ginge appeared in owner Laura Mellors' garden as a stray and "never left", around the same time she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Ms Mellors had to give up her job due to her illness and was eligible for help from the PDSA charity.

Ginge was taken to vets who pulled out the bothersome blade.

Ms Mellors, from Bestwood in Nottingham, was diagnosed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and had to give up her job at Tesco.

"Ginge came into our lives around the same time I was diagnosed with cancer," the 52-year-old said.

"I feel like he chose us to be honest. He was a stray cat who used to come and sit in our garden.

"One day he came in through the back door, and then he never left. We tried to see if he was owned by anyone - we asked our neighbours, and took him to be scanned for a microchip but nothing came of it."

Ms Mellors said it was "very scary" when her feline friend fell ill.

She was able to access help from the charity due to her Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

"The team sedated Ginge and pulled out a huge 10cm blade of grass, I couldn't believe it," she said.

"You couldn't see anything stuck in his nose or in his mouth so it must have been pretty far back. After the vets got it out, Ginge was back to his normal self almost instantly."

PDSA vet Catherine Burke added: "When a cat gets a blade of grass lodged in the back of their nose or throat, it can be very uncomfortable and irritating for them, and could cause an infection.

"It can cause severe bouts of sneezing or coughing, and in some cases such as Ginge's, the cat can start sneezing or coughing up blood which can be very distressing for both cat and owner."

She encouraged pet owners to keep grass cut short "to reduce the risk of longer grass blades getting stuck".

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