Royal Meows! Rescue cat goes from life in a shed to the Palace
A THREE-legged Persian cat has moved home from a dirty shed to a pampered life at Buckingham Palace.
As the old saying goes, a cat may look at the Queen but few rarely do so, especially from such lowly beginnings as Flo – who was rescued by the RSPCA in March. She was taken in by the daughter of the monarch’s head chauffeur.
Four-year-old Flo was living in a small, dirty basket in a shed in Hayes,
west London, and was brought to vets “in a terrible state” with half of her front right leg missing.
At the RSPCA Animal Hospital in Putney, southwest London, she had the rest of the leg amputated.
She was also pregnant but lost her kitten and was so unwell after two operations that vets were unsure if she would pull through. She was fostered by Victoria Fitzgerald, one of the veterinary assistants who helped care for her.
After a few weeks she and her father, Andy Fitzgerald, the Queen’s head chauffeur, were so smitten that they decided to adopt her.
Victoria said: “She really has gone from Aristocat to Aristocrat now she is living the life of luxury compared to where she was before.
“She is getting pampered, has settled in so well and gets on really well with my other pets.”
Victoria, who has worked for the RSPCA for three years, added: “It is the most rewarding part of the job to see an animal who was in such an awful state be rehabilitated and find a loving home – and it’s even better that Flo could come and live with us at Buckingham Palace.”
The family live in the Royal Mews in the Palace grounds.