CAT RESCUE
A Cambuslang woman has thanked her friends and family in Cambuslang and Rutherglen for helping her charity work.
In February, we reported that Charlotte Docherty ( 34), who has been living in Egypt for the past five years with her husband Gary (30), was fundraising to fly an injured cat to its new home in Ohio in America.
A big animal lover, Charlotte has been giving up her spare time to care for sick, injured and abandoned animals in Cairo, and trying to find them new, loving homes.
She was looking after a cat, Jake, who suffered some paralysis due to an accident as a kitten and has not been very well for most of his life.
Thanks to Charlotte’s fundraising and an appeal to her friends and in the Reformer, Jake has made a good recovery and has found a new home in Ohio, and recently flew there to start his new life in the USA.
Charlotte said: “Thanks to everyone who gave a donation. I pretty much had exactly the right amount for the flight!
“The airport was difficult. Jake was scared and didn’t know what was going on. I was putting on a brave face so that he wouldn’t get upset but as soon as they took him away I was in tears - for four days!
“A huge thank you to his mum, Misty Rusher, and her daughter Madison, who drove 16 hour round trip to New York to collect him and who give him a new life.
“When he first got there he was really afraid and hid. I send his new mum a voice message with me calling him and he started purring and rolling around when he heard my voice. Bit by bit, he’s getting more confident. He still doesn’t like to share though as his new mum told me he dragged over some papers on the floor to cover up his water bowl - cheeky wee thing!”
When Jake was first found, he had been through a traumatic experience.
Charlotte said: “He was handed in to a shelter here that’s overcrowded - way over 500 cats. They needed somewhere for him to go while they tried to find a permanent home abroad and prepare him to travel. We took him in.
“We were told he suffered some form of paralysis in his back due to a fall or from being hit. Animals are abandoned, injured, even tortured here daily. The kids seem to think it’s fun and the locals think we are crazy for trying to rescue them.
“Unfortunately, there are more strays than people who care. They don’t even want Persians or Siamese cats any more, not that I condone breeding and buying pedigrees anyway, but these are the common ones found in the streets now.
“Jake had had a terrible time and we’ve easily spent in excess of £500 in treatment. He has a wobbly little walk and has no control over his bowels or bladder. We’ve tried various antibiotics to clear a bad urine and bladder infection he has had. He’s had to have his bladder flushed out and two operations in a week to open his urethra. He also had his tail removed as he had no feeling in it.
“Jake does have a good quality of life and the decision was made to do everything we can for him. He’s a young cat and the paralysis affected only the lower part of his spine, so he is able to run around and is a happy little thing.
“I know some might people think it’s too much and euthanasia would be the kindest option. Many people here are so against euthanasia here and believe it’s ‘haram’ (against God’s will).
“I personally believe that allowing an animal to suffer is not an option and I have had to euthanise many animals I’ve rescued.”
And Charlotte, a teacher, revealed that the more time he spends in his new home, the more confident Jake is becoming.
She said: “Last week, Misty napping on the couch and woke up to Jake sitting on her chest staring at her, practically nose to nose! And yesterday, he was running around - the best way he can with his little legs - playing with toys. As soon as he’s settled and happy, he’ll visit the vet. He was a great wee character and I miss him but he’s in better hands now with good vets in America. Now we are left with only seven cats!”
“We plan to leave Egypt in two years to start a new life in Spain. I wonder how many more than seven we’ll actually leave with! There are just so many to be rescued and not enough people that care unfortunately.”
Charlotte was working with the charity ESMA (Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals), who regularly fly animals out of Egypt to safe homes where they can be properly treated, loved and cared for.
Visit www.esmaegypt.org for more information.