A BLACK cat who was dumped outside a cat rescue with "simply catastrophic" injuries has touched the hearts of many Bradfordians.

Binmen found Cuba, believed to be around six to eight months old, in a box and alerted Bradford Cat Watch Rescue's Katie Lloyd about the discovery outside.

He had four broken legs, a severely damaged tail and dental injuries as well as pelvic issues. The rescue often cares for sick and seriously disabled cats but Cuba was a shock even to experienced rescuers like Katie.

Vets considered euthanasia but, in a positive turn of events, Cuba underwent his first operation - costing £1,500 - on Friday, saving one of his legs.

His story, which was shared thousands of times on social media, has inspired a fundraising campaign for his surgery.

Katie said: "For a six month old kitten it's awful.

"My gut feeling is that he's possibly had an accident at some point. His owners have thought, this isn't getting any better and they dumped him.

"The biggest challenge was lining the broken bone up in the leg so that a metal rod could be placed to stabilise the bone, then pins are drilled in place.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Cuba recovers after his first operation

"The surgery has highlighted the fact that this injury had indeed been sustained around 2 to 3 weeks prior to being dumped at the rescue nine days ago.

"Muscle, bone, nerves and the circulatory system have all been affected by this injury and subsequent surgery and don't forget, this is only one leg out of the four broken ones that has been fixed today and he will also need surgery on his tail at a later date too.

"Thank you to every one who supports us financially, cheers us on and, of course, the biggest thanks goes to our amazing team of veterinary professionals at Northcote."

The rescue has been posting regular updates for followers who fell in love with Cuba. Donations have flooded in and, just over a week later, 75 per cent of the cost of his first operation has been covered.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: X-rays show breaks in Cuba's body

To raise money for the remaining operations, the rescue will be doing a sponsored walk on Sunday. They will be walking the full length of its 'Kitty Cottage' accommodation twice.

Katie is appealing for the previous owners to contact the rescue, adding: "It's not to judge them, we need to know quite a bit more about him."

People can sponsor Cuba via PayPal using bcwrkittensfundraising@gmail.com as the recipient and using 'C' as the reference. People can also call Northcote Veterinary Surgery on 01274 632222 to make a card payment. Cheque payment details can be found on the rescue's Facebook.

How bad is Bradford's cat crisis? Watch below