Couple sentenced after man inflicts physical abuse on two young kittens

A couple from Cheshire have been sentenced after their two five-month-old ginger kittens were physically abused and left with severe injuries.

Mark Nenna (DOB: 26/07/1996) and Abigayle Nenna (DOB: 20/03/1997) both of Whetstone Hey, Ellesmere Port, pleaded guilty and were sentenced at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday 5 November. Mr Nenna received a suspended custodial sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to their two cats Alonso and Hamilton.

The young ginger kittens were both house cats who never went outside. Their owners took them to the vet with severe injuries, but they were subsequently signed over due to insufficient funds to pay for the necessary treatment. Suspicions existed over the severity of the injuries, and the vet contacted the RSPCA to investigate. 

RSPCA Inspector Jenny Bethel said: "I visited the vet where the two kittens had been taken by the same owners on different dates with multiple injuries. The owners claimed the first kitten, Alonso, was play fighting with their other cat and sustained severe injuries including two fractured back legs and partially collapsed lungs. He also had two fractures of his spine which appeared older than the fractures of his back legs indicating these injuries had happened somewhere between seven and 14 days earlier. 

"The second kitten, Hamilton, presented two weeks later, suffering from severe injuries including a fractured rib which they claimed happened when he fell off a cat tree. Hamilton was so severely injured he couldn't stand which was incredibly distressing to see."

The vet report concluded: "These findings indicate that Alonso had been repetitively injured with sufficient severity to have caused bone fracture. The force required to cause such a fracture is still significant and does not occur through play fighting with another kitten."

The report also noted that, according to the owners, Alonso was found on the couple's bed. However, a kitten with two fractured legs wouldn't have been able to jump up on the bed themselves - so it's believed he either sustained the injuries whilst on the bed or was placed there by a person. The report concluded: "In either circumstance, the index of suspicion of physical abuse is raised."

The second cat - Hamilton - was brought to the vet two weeks later when the owners claimed he had caught one of his claws stuck in the elastic of a cat tree causing him to fall off the six-foot climbing frame onto his back. Hamilton couldn't stand or walk and appeared dazed. He had facial twitching and rapid ear movements, which led the vet to believe he was suffering from a head or spinal injury. He also had a fractured rib and was suffering from nose bleeds. 

The vet report concluded: "Falling from a six-foot climbing frame wouldn't have created such significant injuries and a cat has an air righting reflex that allows them to rotate when falling to allow the cat to land on its feet. Rib fractures are a common abuse finding in cats and dogs. In animal abuse cases, rib fractures may occur due to the animal being struck, kicked, stomped or thrown against a blunt object.

"The explanations given as to how the two kittens could have been injured are not consistent with the severity of their injuries. There are discrepancies within some of the descriptions given of the events surrounding the injuries to these cats. In my opinion, Alonso and Hamilton have been caused to suffer as a consequence of physical abuse. Suffering will have been experienced by these animals via mechanisms of fear, distress and pain on a number of occasions."

In mitigation, the court heard that the pair had no previous convictions. Mr Nenna was unable to explain the cat's injuries but accepted that he caused them. He was sentenced to 24 weeks of custody and suspended for two years. He was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and must pay a £154 victim surcharge as well as £750 in costs. Mrs Nenna was handed a 12-month community order including 200 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £114 victim surcharge and £750 in costs. The couple were both banned from keeping all animals for five years.

The two kittens made a full recovery and were rehomed by the vets who cared for them. 

Jenny added: "The vets at MiNight Vet Chester Wirral really went the extra mile for these cats giving them round-the-clock care, especially Hamilton who was in a bad way when he arrived at their practice. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the vets for all their support and for taking such good care of these kittens, including their kindness in covering the majority of the costs for their treatment, for supporting our investigation so thoroughly, and providing great new homes for them."