THE Festive Season came early for Pincushion the cat – rescued by a Nottinghamshire animal ambulance charity after being struck by a car and left for dead in the gutter.

Animal Accident Rescue Unit whisked poor Pincushion to the vets where he was found to have a badly fractured back leg. Plenty of pins later and the bones are mending well, putting Pincushion firmly on the road to recovery.

His case is typical of the hundreds dealt with each year by the AARU right across the county - and with most of its rescues happening on the region’s roads, the bleak wintry conditions that are forecast to get even worse are only going to see numbers go sky high.

So the charity has launched an appeal for kind hearted animal lovers to make room for a furry or feathered guest this New Year and stop the charity bursting at the seams.

Robina Varley, a Trustee of AARU, said while it was great that people had heeded the warnings not to give pets as presents, temporary homes were still needed for convalescing animal casualties.

“All our rescued animals are housed in the homes of dedicated volunteers across Nottinghamshire where they are cared for until they can be considered well enough for rehoming,” she explained.

“At the moment we have ten chronically ill animals in foster homes throughout the county, and the likelihood of them finding permanent homes this at this time of year is extremely remote.

“It is quite likely that another 20 animals at least could come in as a result of accidents or injuries, or being abandoned by their owners over Christmas and, without extra foster homes for dogs, cats and wild birds, the charity will struggle to provide the after-care needed, once these creatures have received veterinary attention.”

AARU funds the veterinary treatment of the stray animals it rescues and initially it seemed that Pincushion would have to lose the damaged leg. But the charity paid for the pins to be put in place and, after resting in a special cat-cage, he is now ready to be placed in foster home for the New Year.

“This little cat is typical of the type of animal needing care at this time of year,” said Robina. “Once he’s better he will be placed for adoption and he is expected to make a good recovery – albeit that he may have a limp!”

To offer a foster home to an animal or bird this New Year, contact Animal Accident Rescue Unit on 0115 932 1555.