A Saskatoon family says their cat is on the mend after coming home last week caught in a leg-hold trap and dragging a large wooden stake.

"We heard this clang, clang, clang," Natasha Swan said Monday. "Me and my husband are like, 'What is that?'"

To their astonishment, the Swans saw the jaws of a trap — a type used to catch wild animals — were clamped firmly around the abdomen of their cat, Lenny. The animal was in pain and gasping for air, Swan said.

Fortunately, the injuries weren't life-threatening. A veterinarian took the trap off and after a few day's recovery, Lenny was back to normal, almost.

"He won't let anybody touch his tummy right now," Swan said. "I don't blame him."

The Swans said they're still upset and angry and are wondering who could have put out such a dangerous device in a neighbourhood where there are numerous children and pets running around.

The trap is now with the Saskatoon SPCA.

"What this does is reminds us of why we are here, why it's necessary to have the Animal Protection Act in place and the Criminal Code of Canada," shelter director Tiffiny Koback said. 

The SPCA is investigating, she said.