A cat with a serious injury to his neck caused by a tight collar is in RSPCA care - with the charity appealing for his owner to come forward.

The cat was found in Wrexham Close, Biddulph, with an injury to his neck caused by his collar embedding deeply into his skin. He was taken to RSPCA Stapeley Grange in Nantwich, Cheshire, for treatment - and where he is currently being looked after while his owners are located.

Sadly the cat - who has been nicknamed Ollie by staff at the centre - isn’t microchipped so his owners can’t be easily traced.

Lee Stewart, manager of Stapeley Grange, said: “Ollie’s injury was so bad that the collar was covered in puss - we believe he had been like that for around three weeks. Our vets made him comfortable with painkillers and antibiotics and cleaned up the wound so he is much better now.

“It’s really important that cats wear the right type of collar as not doing so can lead to injuries like this. Cats are natural hunters and curious explorers and enjoy pushing through tight spots, so it's imperative that any collar is designed to free the cat should they become snagged and so they don't get their leg caught in the collar as was the case with Ollie.

“His injury smelled very strongly when he was brought into the exam room, which is how bad it was. The collar had partly embedded into this poor cat's neck!

 “During surgery our vets took an x-ray and discovered he had also been shot! The pellet, located in a muscle on his right front side, was removed. Ollie is doing well and enjoying all the TLC from our vets, staff and volunteers.

“Sadly, poor Ollie was also not chipped so we had no way of contacting his owner. If no owner comes forward, Ollie will be looking for his new loving forever home, so keep an eye out on our Facebook page for when he is available. 

RSPCA staff have put Ollie’s details on Pets Located. Anyone with information as to who Ollie belongs to can call Stapeley Grange on 0300 123 0748.

To support the ongoing work of the cattery, during this extremely difficult time, please donate to the Cattery JustGiving site.