A starving cat abandoned by its owner survived after ice cubes were posted through its letterbox.
The grey male called Jess was found severely underweight by the Scottish SPCA.
Its owner Jack Dickson, 30, of Lanark in South Lanarkshire, has now been given a 15-month ban on owning animals.
Officers became concerned for the pet’s welfare in June 2016 after being alerted by a worried neighbour who called their helpline.
In a desperate bid to save starving Jess, an inspector from the charity posted food and ice cubes through the letterbox for him until they were able to access the flat.
Jess was transported to a vet where he was found to be extremely underweight but was later rehomed after some rehabilitation.
SPCA Inspector Heather Lawson said: ‘Upon entry of the property, I discovered a litter tray with two empty bowls.
‘It was littered with rubbish and personal items and very little of the floor was visible.
‘There was no water or cat food accessible throughout the house.
‘After gaining steady weight and being fully rehabilitated, Jess was rehomed to a loving family.
‘This level of neglect is unacceptable and could have been easily avoided.
‘We are glad this sentence has been handed down and hope Dickson carefully considers his capability to care for animals in the future.’
Dickson, 30, pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences and was sentenced at Lanark Sheriff Court on July 17.
He admitted leaving his cat unattended and failing to make adequate provisions for his welfare through prior arrangement, making no attempt to provide food, water or monitoring of his welfare, contrary to the Animal Health and Welfare Scotland Act 2006.
