A young cat whose mum was killed by a dog is beginning a long rehabilitation journey at a rescue in Keighley, after sustaining a serious injury during capture.

Prudence, her mum and a new litter of kittens had unceremoniously been dumped on a farm in North Yorkshire. Sadly, the local farm dog killed the mother - leaving the kittens and their big sister vulnerable and hiding in a woodpile for a month. They only survived because neighbours left food out, and were finally able to capture the little family who were taken to Yorkshire Cat Rescue.

Sadly, one of Prudence's kneecaps had been badly dislocated, and efforts to save her leg are now underway.

"Poor Prudence really has been through more trauma than most cats do in a lifetime, and she is only 7 months old. We really hope that vets can save her leg," says Sam Davies, centre manager at Yorkshire Cat Rescue.

Prudence has been fortunate to receive physiotherapy to strengthen and relieve her leg and shoulder muscles as she grows. Kirsty, a local animal physiotherapist, came to visit Prudence and left her daily sets of exercises. 

Kirsty kindly offered the charity a huge discount for her services to help Prudence and Prudence is getting used to her new routine. When she has stopped growing, she will be assessed for surgery followed my more rehabilitation. But while she waits, she is testing out a new, state of the art cat frame that has been donated to the centre by the cat food company Whiskers.

Sam explains: "Thanks to the generosity of Whiskers, we now have a dedicated rehabilitation pen which we can use for cats that may be with us for a little longer - usually because they are recovering from an injury, or because they mentally need a little longer to be ready for adoption after having been left or abandoned.

"The new climbing frame is the ultimate in environmental enrichment for cats, and Prudence certainly seems to appreciate the facilities.".

About Prudence, Sam says: "She is such a character with a great spirit and lots of energy. You can tell that she has spent some time without human company as she still has her fearful moments when she dives for the nearest hiding place. But when she then decides to come up close and lick your nose, you really can't help but fall in love. She currently has a bit of a wonky walk but hopefully she will make a full recovery. She really is worth all the effort and we will do all that we can to see her through this."

Yorkshire Cat Rescue is appealing for support to help pay for Prudence's treatment, which could prove expensive.

Click here to help pay for Prudence's treatment.