A Suffolk animal charity has issued a warning after a cat was found with horrific injuries caused by a dangerous flea collar.

Volunteers at Cats Protection's Anglia Coastal Branch were alerted after a woman in Oulton, Lowestoft reported that a stray cat had started to come in through her cat flap, scavenging food from her kitchen.

Christine Cutts, co-ordinator at Cats Protection’s Anglia Coastal Branch, said: "She had noticed her own cat’s food was going missing in the night and then, one morning, she found Reggie hiding under a chair in her kitchen.

"He was fearful of being approached but the householder managed to get close enough to see a collar embedded in a painful-looking wound."

After the woman contacted the nation’s leading cat welfare charity, Mrs Cutts was mobilised to try to trap the cat and check on its welfare.

Mrs Cutts said: "When I picked him up, it was clear that the cat was in a bad way.

"I was shocked to see the extent of the wounds and knew that he needed immediate vet attention.”

After being admitted to a nearby vet surgery, a scan revealed a microchip and the registered owners were contacted - however, they were amazed to hear that Reggie had been found as he had been missing for 18 months and was presumed gone for good.

Mrs Cutts said: "His original owners said that he didn’t have a collar when he went missing, so someone else must have put that on him.

“Sadly though, their home circumstances had changed and so they took the difficult decision to sign him into our care."

Vets who examined Reggie said that, while he should make a full recovery, it would take time for his injuries to heal.

Mrs Cutts is caring for Reggie at home while he recovers enough to be transferred for further rehabilitation.

She hopes that his case will raise awareness about how collars can be hazardous for a cat.

For advice on cat collars visit its website.