Contains graphic images.
An adorable kitten who suffered horrific burns in a fire has made a miracle recovery after being adopted by the veterinary nurse who saved him.
The seven-week-old animal was rescued by police officers who spotted him lying in the road near a bonfire.
He was taken to Pride Veterinary Centre in Derby where he was given a slim chance of survival last month.
But after an operation to save his eye and dress his wounds, the kitten survived.
Veterinary nurse Jenni Gretton was so taken with him, she started an online campaign to raise money for his treatment.
After just six hours of launching the campaign, wellwishers donated £2,000 to cover his vet’s bills.
Jenni, 32, has now adopted the kitten, who she has named ‘Fire Cat’ after no one came forward to claim him.
The mum-of-one has to cover Fire Cat’s feet in cling film to help them heal and moisturises his eyes several times a day so they don’t dry out.
Jenni, from Mickelover, Derby, said: ‘He smelled of burnt hair because he was singed. All of his fur was charred and his ears and whiskers were burnt.
‘All of the skin on his face was burnt and his eyes were really quite singed. His ears were clinging over the top and he was really sore.
‘He looked worse a few days later when the skin started to peel off – the skin on his face peeled away after a few days.’
Fire Cat was put on fluids and vets were unsure whether he would survive.
‘It was difficult to know whether to carry on with treatment or not. We decided to try,’ added Jenni.
‘We were really unsure at that point what to do because we had never seen a kitten that had been so badly burnt before.
‘We knew there was a high risk of him getting an infection or not being able to breathe properly and we knew how much pain he was in.
‘But we wanted to give him a chance, so we started treatment starting with pain relief.
‘His eyes were really burnt. I flushed his eyes out and cleaned his face to see how bad his injuries were.
‘His lips were burnt away right to his teeth.’
Over the next few days, Fire Cat started doing better. But after no one came forward to claim him, Jenni adopted him.
She added: ‘We still don’t know who his owners were, what happened to him or whether it was malicious or not.
‘I took him home after seven days and his hair started falling off.
‘I was bathing him throughout the day and putting vaseline on his wounds. His skin fell off his face, nose, and nostrils.’
The cat now lives with Jenni, her husband Phil Gretton, 42, and their two-year-old son Jude who gave the kitty his name.
‘Fire Cat fitted in straight away at home and plays with our Cavalier cross breeds, Harvey and Ringo,’ said Jenni.
‘He is really happy and really bright. He is just like a normal kitten except that he looks different.
‘I didn’t think he would get his hair back but it is growing back. He’s too young to go outside and won’t be going out for a while.’
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