We were contacted by a member of staff at Cliveden when she noticed that a cat she and a colleague had been looking after came for breakfast one morning with an injured tail.   She thought it might have been attacked by a fox.

It had been resident there for several years and had been named Pussikins. When Beverley arrived with a trap the cat was there and she was able to look at the wound.    It was not a bite but a long wound which might have been made when the cat got caught on a thorny bush or entangled on barbed wire.

She set the trap and suggested they back off in the hope the cat would enter the trap.   In the meantime one of its "carers” leaned over grasped the cat in both hands and put it in the basket.   It was taken to Alma Vets for treatment.  It was a female and was micro-chipped so the first thing to do, apart from administer pain relief and antibiotics, was to contact the microchip company so her owners could be traced.  Her owner had died about 4 years ago and the contact telephone number was her daughter’s who, though unable to offer her a home, has been following her progress with keen interest.

The cat was called Bo Bo and disappeared within a few weeks of going to live with her mum who resided in Taplow so she hadn’t strayed far.  A waiver of ownership form was despatched for completion by the daughter which enabled treatment to commence.

She was sedated so a thorough examination could be carried out.   Her tail was badly damaged and had to be amputated.   Her pelvis had been fractured (probably as a result of an RTA) It had been left to self-heal as a result of which it was now crooked so that her hips were twisted (causing her to limp)   Her left back paw was causing her severe pain so it was X-rayed.  There was no physical injury  :  the vet thought it might be a touch a sciatica so she will be on pain relief for the foreseeable future.
 
She was discharged into C.L.A.W.S. care with the full support of the 2 staff who had cared for her at Cliveden.    One of them has already been to visit her.

We called her NANCY (because of the Aster connection with Cliveden).  Since taking up residence she has developed quite a personality, growling menacingly when one of theo ther cats comes to see her.    It is a case of her growl is worse than her bite !!  She comes out of her bed to greet you and sometimes sits beside you.   She has started to play with her toys – a mouse suspended on a piece of string is one of her favourites.   She is constantly "humming” to herself – it’s as if she is going up and down the scales.

She needs lots more time and intensive care so she will stay with C.L.A.W.S at least for the winter so she can regain her health and strength.