YOUNG BOLTON COUPLE DISQUALIFIED FROM KEEPING CATS FOR FIVE YEARS
A Bolton couple have been disqualified from keeping cats for five years after failing to seek veterinary care for their pet cat, Buttons, who fell from a window and fractured his pelvis.Blane Hill, 23, and Mia Shepherdson, 21, initially denied owning the tabby and white cat, who was found in visible pain and crying out at their flat in Georgina Court.
The pair appeared at Manchester Magistrates Court in a case brought by the RSPCA.
RSPCA Inspector Jess Pierce, who attended the property on 8 December 2024 alongside police, told the court that Buttons had been reported as “paralysed” after apparently falling from a window and not being taken for veterinary treatment.
Inspector Pierce said in her evidence: "Shepherdson showed me into the front room where I saw a male tabby and white cat lying on a cat tree with a blanket on.
He didn’t appear to want to move, and when Shepherdson picked him up he was crying.
When he was put into the basket he didn’t appear to want to stand and he flopped into the carrier and lay down." The couple were informed that Buttons needed urgent veterinary attention.
He was taken into police possession while the RSPCA carried out its investigation.
During this time, Shepherdson reportedly told the officer that Buttons had bitten Hill on the thumb before running onto the bed and jumping out of the window.
When the Inspector first visited the property, Hill and Shepherdson denied owning any cats.
On a later visit, they showed the officer a different cat and continued to deny having a tabby, reportedly claiming the RSPCA calls were malicious.
A subsequent visit with a police warrant confirmed Buttons was inside.
Buttons was treated at the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, where he was found non-weight bearing on his right hind leg and diagnosed with a dislocated and fractured pelvis, along with bruising around his mouth.
Radiographs confirmed injuries consistent with a fall from height.
He remained under close observation for 23 days and underwent major surgery to insert pins in his hip.
The attending vet told the court that the couple had failed to meet Buttons’ needs by not seeking prompt veterinary care despite his visible pain.
The vet said: "Buttons was visibly in pain on admittance.
He was crying out, struggling to walk and required immediate analgesia.
When I was feeling his pelvis and his right hindlimb he was extremely painful and the examination needed to be paused to allow the analgesia to take effect.
It took multiple medications to control his pain and he required surgery in the end to alleviate it.
He was in severe pain and distress when presented which would have been present since the incident, I would expect any reasonable owner to be able to identify this.
Regardless of how Buttons’ fall from a height occurred, he should have been taken for veterinary assessment immediately." In addition to the five-year cat disqualification, Hill received a 12-month community order and 120 hours of unpaid work.
Shepherdson was given a 12-month community order with ten Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days and a £120 fine.
The court heard the couple was young and had no previous convictions.
After leaving the hospital, Buttons was placed in foster care with the RSPCA Manchester and Salford Branch, where he continued to receive pain relief and regular check-ups.
In mid-March 2025, he began to show unmanageable nerve pain, and the overseeing vet made the decision to put him to sleep to prevent further suffering.
