The owner of Ripon celebrity cat Badger has said she has been overwhelmed by support from people after shocking cruelty towards her pet.
Badger was regularly seen in Ripon and even has a Facebook page with 1,000 followers dedicated to him and his brother Bodger.
But Badger has rarely ventured out since the incident in which he is believed to have been kicked and hung by his collar by children.
The attack has sparked a huge response, with numerous posts on social media and local people putting up £2,000 for information leading to the conviction of whoever was responsible.
Naomi Walker, who owns Badger and Bodger, said she has been amazed by the response but at the same time doesn’t want to encourage vigilantes, particularly towards children. She told the Stray Ferret:
“If anything comes out of this, I would like it to be for people to talk to their kids about animal cruelty. You don’t have to like cats to not hurt them.
“But I can’t thank everyone enough for all they’ve done. I’m overwhelmed and grateful for all the support.”
Ms Walker said she didn’t go public about the incident for several weeks because she didn’t want to generate too much fuss, particularly because Badger is now nearly 12, but she felt people deserved to know what had happened. She said:
“It’s endearing that people care so much about him. He does have a large fan base and has become a local celebrity.”
Badger was seen regularly around Sainsbury’s and the cathedral until Ms Walker moved elsewhere in the city. The gregarious moggy then started frequenting Lead Lane, and took a particular fondness to a local fish and chip shop.
Bodger has always been less adventurous and rarely strays far from home.
Read more:
- Sewage discharged into River Ure near Ripon after pipe leaks
- Ripon and Knaresborough men spared jail after TikTok fight
