An Orcas woman heard a cat crying and after investigating the sound, she was met with a gruesome sight in the nearby woods.

The black and white male cat was stuck in a “leg hold trap,” which is illegal in the state of Washington. They are typically set to catch larger animals like wolves.

“It was old and rusty, so I don’t know how long it had been there,” said Orcas Animal Shelter Director Marsha Waunch, who rescued the feline with Sergeant Scott Taylor. It was found in brambles off of Indralaya Road.

After being trapped for several days, Waunch said it is amazing the animal survived. Its right, front leg bone was exposed and partially amputated; after a visit to the vet, it was taken off entirely. The cat will be at the shelter until his owner is found or he is adopted.

Waunch cautions the public to be careful of old traps; they are strong enough to seriously injure a pet.

“They are really nasty because they don’t kill the animal, they just lay there and suffer for days,” she said.