Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
MAKING the right judgements can be crucial. Partner, job, what to have for lunch – all have to be decided. But sometimes we get it wrong.
Plum misjudged crossing the road and was hit by a car. Taken to the vets by a kind passer-by, she was treated for bruises and shock. They also found she was blind in one eye (possibly why she misjudged crossing the road) and pregnant. Quite a load for a young stray cat to carry on her own. At the vets, she gave birth to two kittens but only one survived.
Now safe in foster care with Hounslow Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), her foster carer says Plum doesn’t have enough milk to feed Pickle, her kitten, so she is having to hand-rear the kitten. The foster carer says Plum is trying to be a good Mum but is easily distracted.
She’ll be washing Pickle but if she thinks something more interesting is happening, she’ll stop to investigate. Having only one eye, doesn’t stop her jumping on windowsills to have a look.
HAWS think Plum must have been someone’s pet in the past as she is very affectionate and chatty. She is looking for a home with someone who is around most of the day where she can be the focus of attention.
If you are interested in giving Plum a loving home, see details at haws-animals.org.uk or call 020 8560 5443. Her kitten, Pickle, will also be looking for a home but not yet, as she is still too young.
Plum misjudging crossing the road is a reminder of how important it is to always try and make the right judgements.
A particularly important decision relates to when a much-loved pet is terminally ill and you know the time is drawing near when you have to let them go.
This happened to me last week when one of my cats was diagnosed with lymphoma and deteriorated rapidly. As always, for me, the decision involved weighing up the vet’s diagnosis together with any treatment proposed and the effect it’s likely to have.
For me, these are all underpinned by the priority of ensuring the animal is not in pain or suffering any other distressing symptoms and thinking about their quality of life.
Thus it was that, last Saturday, I was with our Ellie at the vets as she peacefully breathed her last. It seems to me the importance of drawing alongside others (animal and human) in their hour of need should never be underestimated.