Cat looked like it was 'cut in two' after being caught in snare for five days in Aberdeenshire

Warning: Graphic images below.

A pet owner said she thought her cat was “cut in two” after he had become trapped in a snare for five days in Aberdeenshire.

Marion Brownlie discovered ginger and white tabby Harry collapsed in a field near her home in St Cyrus with “horrific injuries” in 2023.

After dragging himself out from a snare, where he had been trapped for five days, at first sight Marion thought he had been “cut in two”.

“Harry had been missing for five days when we found him collapsed in a field”, she said.

“And it was like something from a nightmare – I was afraid to pick him up as it looked as though he’d been cut in two.

Harry's horrific injury after being stuck in a snare for five days. — Harry’s horrific injury after being stuck in a snare for five days. Cats Protection via Supplied

“He must have been in agony, but somehow he was still alive and after lots of veterinary treatment and rest he pulled through.”

Harry underwent emergency treatment to repair a deep wound running from hip to hip across his abdomen and was able to return home, but he now needs to be confined to a cage for rest during his recovery.

Marion has now welcomed a ban on the use of snares in Scotland, which officially came into force on Monday.

The ban – which aims to improve animal welfare and promote humane wildlife management – was introduced in Parliament as part of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 in March 2024, and campaigners are now calling Monday a “landmark day” for the country after it was officially brought into force.

Harry has been left with a giant scar. Supplied

Harry is now recovering at home. Cats Protection via Supplied

The law requires licences and training for trap use, while grouse shooting will depend on legal management practices.

Greater powers have also been given to the Scottish SPCA inspectors to tackle wildlife crime.

Marion added: “No animal deserves the pain and suffering that these inhumane devices inflict, and I’m incredibly relieved that they have finally been banned.”

Alice Palombo, advocacy and government relations officer for Scotland at Cats Protection, said: “This ban sends a message that cruel and inhumane practices no longer have a place in our society, and we will continue to campaign for snares to be banned across the UK following Scotland’s example.”