Dubai residents rescue cat severely burnt by hot cooking oil

Distressed kitten was rushed to a vet after apparently being flicked with boiling oil

Pablo the kitten suffered severe burns from cooking oil. Amanda Duthie

A kitten was left close to death with severe burns caused by hot cooking oil.

Rescuers discovered the cat in the Mira district of Dubai on Tuesday and rushed him to a local vet.

The stray animal was in a traumatised state with large parts of his body covered in burns from the unexplained incident.

Thankfully, the story had a happy ending with the cat finding a new home and his owner naming him Pablo.

“When we found him we were not sure what had happened to him but he was shaking in pain and was really skittish,” said Amanda Duthie, 47, from England.

“He was nervous and obviously in pain, so we took him to the vet, who told us the burns were caused by congealed cooking oil.”

At first, the prognosis was grim, with the vet who treating the kitten debating whether to put him out of his misery. But his condition improved overnight and as the hours passed, it became clear he would survive the ordeal.

“He had severe burns all over his body from cooking oil, particularly around his shoulders and abdomen,” said Dr Pedro Vicente, who treated him at Noble Veterinary Clinic in Dubai Investments Park.

“The skin on the pads of his paws was peeling off as well, and he was in serious pain.

“Despite all the burns, he responded well to the treatment and was able to eat something to keep his strength up.”

Dr Vicente said it was most likely that someone had been cooking outside, which attracted the cat’s attention.

“They might have thrown the oil in his direction to try to get him to stop begging for food,” he said.

The kitten, which Dr Vicente estimated to be about five months old, surprised everyone at the clinic with the speed of his recovery and his good nature.

“He has such a nice, friendly personality,” he said.

“When I saw he had no infections and was healing well, I thought it a good idea to try to see if we could find a home for him.”

They did not have to wait long.

Elaine Fouz, the practice manager, said everyone had fallen in love with his sweet nature and she decided to adopt him herself.

“I couldn’t help but adopt him. He was so calm after everything he had been through,” she said.

“He is such a lovable boy. I have decided to call him Pablo and we are going to keep him at the clinic for another week before I take home to meet his new family.”

She said he will feel right at home with her other two cats.

“While we see animals in distress on a daily basis it was still a shock to see what happened to him,” said Ms Fouz, 58, from England.

She urged people to show more care when around stray animals, particularly in the cooler winter weather.

“It is very common for cats to climb under cars and go up inside the engine for warmth,” she said.

“People don’t realise that cats might be under there when they are starting their engines. I would advise people to give their car a tap or two before starting their engines.”