Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
WALKING along the South Bank from the Festival Hall to London Bridge is like a breath of fresh air.
Past the skate park, the Tate Modern, the Globe and the famous bridges to Southwark Cathedral. And there, waiting for us, reclining on a massive chair is Hodge the cat.
Speaking to the Cathedral staff about Hodge is like another breath of fresh air. No doubt there are some who would say a cathedral is no place for a cat.
But there is none of that here. Just a huge welcome for a cat in need of a home. Mind you, they have plenty of experience of having a resident rescued cat.
Before Hodge arrived, they gave refuge to Doorkins. She had been living wild until she found sanctuary at Southwark Cathedral where she learnt to trust those who fed her.
Doorkins was fearless. She could often be seen walking in front of the altar during a service or stretched out on a radiator. That was until the London Bridge terrorist attack when she was shut out of the Cathedral for a few days.
Once inside again she didn’t leave the place she had come to think of as home where she felt safe.
As Doorkins got older her sight failed and one of the Vergers took her home to care for her until she died.
But, on the day she died, something strange happened. Southwark Cathedral staff had, for some time, been talking about getting another cat. Because of Doorkins, they had developed links with the charity Cat Cuddles to whom they had given surplus food.
So it made sense that, if they got another cat, they would get a rescued one from Cat Cuddles.
It turned out that the very day Doorkins died, was the day Hodge arrived at the Cathedral. Hodge had been taken in by Cat Cuddles after being discovered in a street with a growth on his face. They immediately treated him and he’s since made a full recovery.
Hodge is a beautiful boy. When I met him he was touring the Cathedral posing for photographs in different locations. He’s obviously following in Doorkins footsteps who, before she died, had been photographed by thousands of people and had even met the Queen.
It’s so refreshing when needy animals are given a second chance. If, like Southwark Cathedral, you want to give an animal a new start, contact your local animal rehoming centre and see who’s waiting for it to be their turn.