A cat called Trudie miraculously survived for 16 days after being hit by a bus.
Two women stopped to help the injured tortoiseshell in Luton, Bedfordshire, but she darted off in fright.
Rescuers spent more than two weeks looking for her, putting up posters around the town in the desperate search.
Then, some 16 days later, the cat was finally spotted in a yard by a business owner who alerted the RSPCA.
She was rushed to Wood Street Veterinary Hospital, in Barnet, north London, where vets removed her left eye and wired her jaw.
Unable to eat, she was fed with a tube for the first week, but Trudie is beginning to recover from her extensive head injuries.
RSPCA volunteer Katie Duncan said: ‘It was awful to think of her in pain somewhere in need of urgent veterinary treatment.
‘We never expected her to survive so long on her own as we tried our best to find her but she was nowhere to be seen.’
Katie and animal care assistant Amy Hearne are now caring for Trudie at the Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar.
Amy said: ‘Trudie is a true miracle and we felt she deserved a special name, so we named her after St Gertrude, the Patron Saint of Cats.
‘It’s incredible that she survived and she’s a very sweet lady, despite everything she’s been through.
‘She’s settling in really well and loves the fuss she’s getting from all of our staff and volunteers.
‘So far her vet bill has totalled more than £2,000 so we’ve launched a special online fundraising appeal to help cover some of the costs.’
Trudie is not yet available for rehoming and will remain with the centre until she recovers from her surgery.
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