Cat sprayed with green paint in Lancashire prompting appeal to trace potential owner

English Barn Cats - the largest independent rescue in Lancashire - picked up the black cat following multiple calls from concerned residents.

It was not the first time the cat had been sprayed with paint, with it first being covered in grey paint before being splashed again with bright green pigment.

The cat, which was found on Hindle Street in Darwen, was not neutered or chipped when he was taken to the vets so he was put into care.

An appeal was subsequently launched in an attempt to find the cat’s owner in case he had one.

Posting on social media, a spokesman for English Barn Cats said: “He has been seen for days out there like this and trying to clean himself so we’re worried he may have ingested this toxic paint.

“Some of the paint has gone off him so we’re not sure if he’s ripped it out as there’s clumps of missing fur and he smells of chemicals/ perfume/ soap.

“Does this mean he’s owned? Is another feeder helping him? Is he neglected in a home painting him or are members of the public throwing paint at him as this isn’t the first time where he has been covered in paint?

“If he’s your cat, get in touch ASAP with English Barn Cats.”

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Microchipping cats

Earlier this month, it was made mandatory for every pet cat in England to be chipped before the age of 20 weeks.

Ministers hoped the scheme will help reunite thousands of lost pets with their owners and deter pet theft.

Owners found not to have microchipped their pet had 21 days to have one implanted or face a fine of up to £500.

According to Cats Protection research, more than one in four owners (26%) who have failed to microchip said it was because their pet does not venture outdoors, and about one in seven (14%) said their cat was identifiable by its collar.

It usually costs between £20 and £30 to have a cat microchipped by a vet, the charity said.

Alice Potter, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, said: “We have seen cats coming into our care who are sadly not microchipped and may never be reunited with their owners.

“On average, 11% of all cats coming into the RSPCA’s care are still not microchipped.

“We’ve also rescued cats who have been microchipped but the details haven’t been kept up to date, which is arguably even more frustrating as it means cats spend a long time in our care whilst we fruitlessly try to contact the owner with out-of-date information.

“However, we’ve also seen countless stories of cats that have been reunited with their owners thanks to a tiny microchip – showing what this change of legislation will achieve for animal welfare.”