Amputee cat who suffered 30-hour leg trap ordeal on SPCA 'list of shame'

A cat that had its leg amputated after it was stuck in a leg-hold trap for 30 hours in southern Hawke's Bay will be included in an annual "list of shame".

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) list highlights the 12 worst cases of animal abuse from the past year.

Morehu, nicknamed Morry Potter, was found on a rural property in near Dannevirke after his foot was caught in a leg-hold trap.

The then eight-month-old tabby cat's injuries were so severe that his leg had to be amputated.

The eight-month-old cat's injuries were so severe that his leg had to be amputated. Photo / Supplied

Napier SPCA Inspector Pip Lamb, who found Morry while carrying out an inspection on an unrelated matter, said the cat went into "full panic mode" when she discovered it.

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

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

Lamb added: "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.

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

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

Morry was adopted by a Wellington-based foster mother Sonia Christensen.

The full shortlist is set to be released later this month ahead of the SPCA's 2020 Annual Appeal.