Blue Mountains Cat Rescue asks: How many lives does 'Lucky' the kitten have?

Blue Mountains Cat Rescue head carer Christine Stacy recovered the disabled kitten and 29 others cats and kittens from a Lithgow residence after they allegedly suffered abuse and neglect. Straight away she dubbed her Lucky.

"I named her that from the first time I saw her, her eyes were closed where she had been [allegedly] punched and kicked, she had burn marks on her, she's still recovering," Mrs Stacy said.

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"Her hair has grown, the skin on her paws has come back there. Remarkably she's doing well."

She believes the black kitten is a tortoiseshell, now that she can see her fur growing back from being burnt.

Mrs Stacy said Lucky's mother and siblings had died. Of the 30 rescued felines, five have died, five have found new homes, 20 are left and 18 of those still need help from veterinarians.

Mrs Stacy said they have had help from Hartley vets, but had a $10,000 vet bill to pay (which is ever increasing), as well as the costs of a wheelchair for Lucky. So far the community has helped raise about $7000.

Lucky's new wheelchair, or training wheels, was modified especially for her.

"She drags along. We thought with the wheelchair that will help her build up those muscles, all [that] nerve damage. Initially we thought she had a broken pelvis."

Early x-rays have indicated there are no broken bones. But every specialist consultation or x-ray costs up to $400, she added.

"It's vets, vets vets."

They are hoping to find homes for Lucky, as well as her friends Roger Ramjet and his brother Wee Willie - "the little cross-eyed ginger boys" - and the many others like the blind white kitten they have named Smiley.

"Roger and Wee Willy need to go together because they get distressed when they can't see each other.

"Hopefully these kittens open people's eyes to what can happen. We need more funds. We need Lucky to have her operations. These cats are not yet out of the woods."

Blue Mountains Cat Rescue said the emergency rescue call was in January.

A spokesperson for the NSW Police Media unit said: "Officers attached to Chifley Police District are conducting inquiries after receiving a report on Monday 30 January 2023 of alleged animal abuse at Lithgow."

Mrs Stacy said the cats and kittens were loving and forgiving, one had recently found a home with a boy with autism who couldn't stop smiling around his new pet.

More details can be found on the rescue group's Facebook page about the cat's stories at BMD - Blue Mountains & Districts Cat Welfare Group Inc where those who are interested can make contact about adoption.

The cat rescue is based out of 114 Bathurst Road, Katoomba.

The charity is ethically opposed to euthanasia.