Cat that survived 70ft viaduct fall kept alive by maggots eating his leg

Bengal cat Gus is recovering after surviving a 70-foot drop from a viaduct in Frampton Mansell, near Stroud, Gloucestershire. The 18-month-old moggy was kept alive by maggots following the plunge, as they nibbled dead flesh away from a broken leg - preventing blood poisoning. He crawled under a trailer to stay hidden and was found six days later when a passing dog walker startled him.



Owner Caroline Bush, 39, said: "We had a phone call from a gentleman who said, I think your cat is under my trailer. We were on our way to school at the time so we went straight there. I helped him out but his leg had rotted away. It just looked like a shrivelled up banana skin."  Caroline and her three children took Gus to Clockhouse Veterinary Hospital in Wallbridge, where staff were sceptical about his chances of survival.

"The vets said they had never seen an injury that horrific and the animal survive, so they suggested the kids come and say goodbye to him at one point," Caroline added. "He had gone six days without food or water and was so weak they had to wait a day before operating. When they did amputate his leg he died but thankfully they were able to bring him back to life by resuscitating him.



"They told us the maggots that had been feeding on his leg saved his life, as they had eaten all the dead flesh and prevented him from getting blood poisoning." Caroline said the whole family cried with relief when Gus returned home from the vets. We were so glad to have him back - he has become a bit of a local celebrity around here now," she said. "Everyone seems to know about him and they keeping asking us, was your cat the one that fell off the viaduct?"