Pet cat submerged in old motor oil in Hervey Bay

Families in a Queensland neighbourhood have been shocked at an act of animal cruelty against a beloved pet that has left them fearful of further attacks. Some say cats are being used as bait for crabbing.

A Hervey Bay family has revealed traumatic details after discovering their pet cat was forcibly submerged in used motor oil.

A Hervey Bay family has revealed traumatic details after discovering their pet cat, who died on Thursday, was forcibly submerged in used motor oil.

The Urraween family adopted seven-year-old Ashleigh, a black rescue cat, from the Hervey Bay Animal Refuge when she was a kitten.

Her owners, who asked to not be named, said she was a timid cat that rarely left the house home and did not like to be cuddled.

“She left the house for eight hours (on Sunday, August 13) and came back to our home, at Caddy Avenue, in a crippled state and drenched in a sticky, thick, black diesel oil,” one of the owners said.

“We were shocked to discover Ash in this state; there were paw prints of oil at the door and her ears were full of oil, which was very hard to clean.

“We took her straight to Nissen Street Vets where she was cleaned with a gentle detergent,” he said.

Nissen Street Veterinary Surgery treated Ashleigh free of charge.

The surgery treated Ash free of charge and donated a wooly jumper and collar for her.

“My neighbour who is a mechanic confirmed it was used motor diesel and anyone who knows cats are aware they don’t submerge their heads lightly,” he said.

Ashleigh swallowed a significant amount of the oil while trying to clean herself, which could have impacted organs such as her kidneys.

“She is very distressed and the whole street fears the safety of their own animals,” her owner said.

“It is widely known that cats on the Fraser Coast are stolen and used as bait for crabbing.

The family lives on Caddy Ave, Urraween, on the Fraser Coast.

“Sam Ulrick, a resident at Point Vernon, said her cat was submerged in citronella oil,” he said.

Ashleigh was familiar with our large family with dogs and often enjoys joining family walks around the suburb.

She was pretty much treated like “the queen of the house,” he said.

“She walked behind us when we walk our two staffies but never strayed, so I know the incident must have occurred within close proximity to our home.

“My five-year-old son overheard the vets say she may die, which has caused significant upset and distress for us.”

A post about what had been done to Ashleigh was shared to social media, where it was met with overwhelming support for the family, and horror at what had happened to her.

The family adopted seven-year-old Ashleigh from the Hervey Bay Animal Refuge, when she was a kitten.

Resident Margaret Webb said it is hard to imagine someone being so cruel.

Another resident, Stena Keys said a similar vile offence happened to her cat several years ago.

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“We took her to the vet and they washed and washed, also dealt with the internal intake,” she said.

The owner said what happened to Ashleigh is a malicious act and it must have been a significant barrel of oil to submerge her.

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“The most disturbing thing is that this clearly isn’t a one-off event.

“This behaviour towards cats is broadly known around the region and there is an angst present in cat owners,” he said.

If anyone has information, please report to the Queensland Police.