Kirk the cat’s miracle survival from snake bite

Their two-and-a-half-year-old cat, Kirk, had been bitten by a snake, which would almost cost him his life and result in a $4500 vet bill.

Based on CCTV footage, she estimates Kirk was bitten as early as 10am that day.

He remained in the vet until Saturday that week, with several more visits after that.

According to Miss Watts it was only when they feared nothing more could be done that he finally started improving.

The prospect of losing him was a lot for the family to bear.

“He is everything to us,” she said. “It wouldn’t the same without him”.

The ordeal has also proved a financial challenge for the family, who had to take out a loan to pay the vet bills and launched a GoFundMe to help pay this back.

Miss Watts would like to thank the vets who took great care of Kirk and the wider community who contributed to her fundraising appeal.

Kirk is slowly on the mend, having started walking again earlier this week.

Her advice to other cat owners who want to protect their pet from snakes is to keep their animals inside.

According to GV Vets founder and senior veterinarian Brett Davis, if your pet is bitten by a snake, taking action early is important.

“The difference between life and death can be a matter of minutes,” he said.

He said keeping the animal as still as you could was also important.

He said “prevention is better than cure”, and there were several things pet owners could do to reduce the risk of snakes.

This includes having well-kept gardens and lawns and minimising dense shrubbery. When out walking their dogs, owners should keep them on a lead.