A cat is lucky to be alive after thugs reportedly strapped a firework to its body and set it off.

Owner Tish Holland discovered her moggy Nicky meowing in pain and covered in blood as it returned home overnight.

The cat, which she rescued after it was dumped on her door three months ago, had to have its tail amputated and is now being cared for by vets.

Tish, of Quinton Road, Sittingbourne, said she had been left terrified by the attack.

“I could see blood on the kitchen floor. I looked at her and screamed to my 16-year-old son,” she said.

“Half of her tail was burnt off and she could not sit down. Her back was bald and she was in pain.

“It’s broken me – I think it’s disgusting that there are people out there that do these things" - Tish Holland

“It looked like a firework had been attached to her tail.”

The case has been reported to police.

It happened last Thursday and vets decided to amputate the cat's tail later that day.

“This sort of thing should not happen,” said Tish.

“She didn’t have much of a life and she didn’t deserve this.

“It’s broken me – I think it’s disgusting that there are people out there that do these things, it’s so cruel.”

The 56-year-old has now given her cat to the RSPCA due to fears of future attacks.

“If I have her back I’m scared that she will go out and something worse will happen to her,” she said.

“It breaks me to give her up but I’m afraid of where I live – it’s not the best of places.

“I’m petrified to go outside at night as the houses get burgled and the lads round here cause trouble.”

After being dumped on a doorstep in a cardboard box, moggy Nicky was given a second chance in life by cat-lover Tish who took taking her in – then three months on, her tail was burnt off by thugs.

Tish took Nicky in after she and her kittens were left in a sellotaped box on her doorstep.

“We managed to re-home the babies but we kept mum and called her Nicky,” she said.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “This sounds as if this cat had quite an ordeal and we would be very concerned if anyone had intentionally harmed him or her.

“Anyone with any information about this or any other animal welfare concern should contact us on 0300 1234 999.”

Practice manager at Borden Lane Vets Laura Simpson said: “She is such a sweet cat and after all of the drama she’s gone through, she still loves being made a fuss of.”

Anyone with information should call police on 01795 419119, quoting crime reference XY/039854/16.