Vets reattach cat’s face after fan belt apparently severed it

Veterinarians on Tuesday performed an unusual surgery to reattach the face of a cat they believe was injured by a car’s fan belt, probably because she tried to stay warm under the hood.

Edgar, a 4-year-old long-haired feline, was missing for three days last week. When she returned, her owner found her in her litter box -- with part of her face dangling.

“When her owner saw her face, she passed out,” said Elizabeth Kendrick, a surgical technician at Angell Animal Medical Center.

The owner, who asked not to be identified, recovered from the shock and rushed Edgar to an animal hospital.

Edgar suffered no major blood loss or permanent nerve damage, veterinary surgeon Michael Pavletic said.

Despite the injury, Edgar behaved normally, Kendrick said.

“She was purring and sticking her head up so we could pet her,” Kendrick said. “I’d never seen anything like it.”

Bonnie Beaver, a veterinary professor at Texas A&M; University, said such injuries are rare since cats are usually killed if caught in a fan belt.

“She may have problems later,” Beaver said, “but the cat was saying, ‘I may have lost this life but, by golly, I have eight more.’ ”