Jemima returns, but uses another life
Jemima the cat is clearly a born survivor.
She had a tough start to life after being dumped as a kitten, and now she’s survived 10 days on her own with a badly injured leg after someone shot her.
Jemima, an SPCA rescue cat, was taken in by Penelope and Bill de Boeron their small farm outside Martinborough about three years ago, but mysteriously vanished about December 28.
The de Boers, who have had six other cats disappear without trace over the past six years, assumed they would never see her again.
To their astonishment and joy, Jemima turned up on January 7, wounded but alive, dragging her front right leg as though it was broken.
Penelope de Boer thought she must have broken her leg. But a vet couldn’t find anything wrong with her leg, and so decided to X-ray.
‘‘It was then they found the bullet wound,’’ Penelope said. ‘‘Entry and exit had healed enough so that we hadn’t noticed it.
‘‘The X-ray showed the bullet had destroyed the nerves in her shoulder and actually chipped the top off her sternum.
‘‘She is incredibly lucky to be alive. What I can’t believe is that whoever shot her just left her to die.
‘‘Even if she was a feral cat, there are humane ways to do things. No animal should have to die in such a painful manner.’’
De Boer said she hated to think how their other missing cats might have died over the past few years, after seeing the ordeal that Jemima went through.
‘‘We initially contacted police but, because the bullet passed through Jemima, they were unable to proceed with an investigation.’’
Vetcare Masterton’s Naya Brangenberg said Jemima was extraordinarily lucky to survive because, if the bullet had been a fraction to the left or up or down, it would most probably have killed her.
From the nature of the wound, it looked as if she was sitting observing the person who shot her, she said. ‘‘It chipped her sternum and passed through a very important bundle of nerves. Depending on how she recovers, we may have to do surgery.’’
Senior Sergeant Mike Sutton said any incident involving a firearm was a concern, and the cruelty aspect was also a reason to look at the incident closely.
‘‘We have taken notice of this and, if we get more information, we could proceed further with an investigation.’’