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Oscar the cat, minus his tail and one leg, is keeping his owners guessing as to what his next injury will be

BRAVE cat Oscar is quickly using up his nine lives after being hit by a car, locked in a church twice and nearly mauled to death by a badger.

The unfortunate five-year-old moggy has been in so many scrapes that his owners have spent more than £2,000 in vet bills so far.

In the most recent incident, Oscar went missing for a number of days and was found cowering under a hedge after being ferociously attacked by a badger.

As a result of the attack, Oscar had to have three operations; one to remove his tail, one to remove his back leg and one to reposition his skin following the amputations. It meant the poor moggy was in and out of the vet's for four months.

Owner Linda Satchell, 45, of Sandy Lane, Chippenham, said: "He has been in that many scrapes I cannot recall them all. He has always been an inquisitive cat and I think that is what lands him in so much trouble.

"It started when he was hit by a car at two years old and was in a cage for six weeks.

"Then he got locked in the church next to our house twice, and we always have to check delivery vans when they come to the house because he will try and hitch a lift.

"The last incident was definitely the worst and we were told that he was unlikely to live after the badger had pretty much mauled him to death.

"He was in such a bad way with his tail and leg - his tail was also infected with blue fly, which can also be fatal.

"I am sure that he dragged himself under the hedge to die and was only discovered after a dog sniffed him out.

"He doesn't have it easy at home either, I'm afraid, because my other cat Fluffy has taken to biting him and his wounds get infected."

In order to pay the latest vet's bill of £1,400 after the badger attack, Mrs Satchell had to go back to work at a transport company in Calne.

Since the last incident Oscar doesn't leave the house very often and, if he does, he always returns within a few hours.

Mrs Satchell said: "He is more or less back to his old self, bringing home rabbits and mice that he has caught.

"He is slowly getting over what has happened but we are all living on edge waiting to see what trouble he will get into next time."

11:11am Thursday 8th May 2008

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