A Norwich mother-of-two was horrified to find her family cat had returned home with both of his ears cut and a deep gash on his furless back.
Georgina Barnes, 27, said Bubba, her five-year-old cat, had not returned home on Saturday night but that this was normal for him.
As Miss Barnes was just about to leave home on Sunday evening, at around 8pm, she was shocked to discover Bubba on the sofa covered in blood.
'He looked like he had been hit by a car,' she said. 'He didn't even let us know he was back, he didn't make any noise,'
'He had a lot of fur missing on his back, like he'd been scalped. I called my partner and he noticed Bubba's ears were cut and he had large, deep cut on his back.'
Bubba was rushed to Taverham Veterinary Hospital where his wounds were cleaned and stitched. Despite the severe injuries he is on the mend and is making a good recovery. Miss Barnes, of George Pope Close, said: 'Someone came to speak to me and said it doesn't look like something another animal had done, it looks like someone had done it with a knife. 'He said it was one of the worst injuries he had every seen.'
The injuries were so severe that Bubba may require surgery on his back as the large scar may cause problems with his walking in the future.
Friends of the family have set up a fundraising page to help pay for the mounting vet bills, which could reach to around £1,000.
Miss Barnes and her family - her partner and two daughters aged 10 and three - had bought Bubba along with his brother Simba from a friend whose cat had given birth to a litter of kittens.
Miss Barnes said: 'Bubba was the fluffiest one and so cute, I did not plan on having one but fell in love with him.'
The brutal attack over the weekend is the first time Bubba has ever got hurt.
'It makes me sick to think someone had done this to him, it wasn't an accident,' Miss Barnes added. 'I'm trying to figure out why someone would do this, to put him through that kind of trauma and the pain it has put my family through.'
A spokesman from the RSPCA said the charity has been informed of the incident and is treating it as suspicious.
Anyone with information should contact the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018 quoting incident 1241/14/04 or to call the police.
The spokesman added: 'We are saddened to hear about poor Bubba's injuries and hope he makes a speedy recovery.'
To donate, visit: www.gofundme.com/vet-bill-for-my-best-friends-cat
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