Dannevirke cat who suffered 30-hour ordeal in gin trap finds his forever home

A cat that had its leg amputated after it was stuck in a leg-hold trap for 30 hours in southern Hawke's Bay has found its forever home.

Morehu, now known as Morry Potter, has been adopted by his Wellington-based foster family.

Owner Sonia Christensen said she was definitely learning as she went when it came to how much care he needed.

"Morry came along and he just fitted in really well.

"You wouldn't notice that he's got three legs."

She said Morry, who was found on a rural property near Dannevirke after his 30-hour ordeal in September, was more of an indoor cat.

"But my daughter is going to be on study break soon for NCEA, so there will be someone at home all the time, so she'll be able to monitor that."

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She said it was amazing how well he bounced back from his horrific injuries.

"He is definitely a character to be able to go from that to where he is now."

Napier SPCA Inspector Pip Lamb was in Dannevirke, carrying out an inspection on an unrelated matter, when she and another SPCA inspector stumbled over Morry, literally.

"He was crouched down being quiet, he had obviously dragged the trap and got it caught in some silage netting.

"One of our inspectors almost tripped over him, and he went into a full panic mode and was trying to get away, and we had to calm him down.

"The way that his paw was stuck, you could tell by how swollen the part of the paw inside the trap was that it had obviously been like that for a little while, poor guy."

Leg-hold traps are not illegal, but their use is restricted under the Animal Welfare Act.

Lamb said the SPCA advises people who use leg-hold traps to be really aware of where they are setting them and how close they are to the possibility of catching a domestic animal.

She recommended cat owners keep their pets inside at night as a way to prevent them being injured by a trap.

"Traps are a big issue for domestic cats in New Zealand, because they are still legal in certain circumstances."

No leg-hold trap can be used in any area where there is a probable risk of catching a pet animal.