CP volunteer saves Sampson - and finds him the purrfect CP home ...
10 June 2021
A grey cat, hit by a car on the Queslett Road and left for dead, was found by a Cats Protection volunteer and now has a new home – with North Birmingham CP coordinator, Nicole Evans. But it’s been a long, painful and expensive road he’s travelled to get where he is now!
Says Nicole: “Our branch treasurer, Amanda Sharman, found the poor mangled-moggie nearby where she lived earlier this year and – with the help of local residents and her husband Kevin - scooped him up in her arms and rushed him to Northside Emergency vets. And there it was quickly diagnosed he had a broken pelvis and a condition called ‘entropion’. This is where a cat’s eyelashes are growing into his eyes. As things were not looking too bright for the poor lad, Amanda named him Samson – in the hope he could be strong and pull through.”
Samson’s recovery plan was lockdown – well, in cat terms – ten weeks of cage rest. Next steps once Samson was rested and relaxed was the snip (neutering), an operation on his eyes, and an X-ray on his pelvis. He’d improved a lot but still had a ‘funny way of walking’.
Daniel of Lydon Veterinary Centre performed the intricate procedures - but Samson's long-term prognosis was still unsure when Daniel said the pelvis was ‘healed but not fully aligned.’
Later, Samson's x-ray was sent to West Midlands Referrals where a specialist declared him ‘fit and well, but that he may have issues in years to come, and always have a funny gait.'
Animal lover and regular animal rescuer Amanda, who lives in Donegal Road, Streetly, confirms she saw the sorry-looking moggie, lying injured in the road, at 7.30am while out walking on a cold March Saturday morning. Says Amanda: “I approached, thinking he was dead, but he stood up on his two front legs, with his two back legs dangling lifelessly behind, and dragged himself on to a drive and disappeared under a car. There was nothing for it but to ring the bell, wake up the resident, and ask him if he’d move his car. All the neighbours nearby began to help – bringing towels and a cardboard box. I dropped a towel over puss, scooped him up and into the box, and rushed him to the vets. And big thanks to all my CP colleagues/fellow volunteers for taking on and over his care – and substantial vet bills!”
Coordinator Nicole, with the help of the social media team, popped Samson – estimated at around 3 years old - on the CP website and FB page with his sad story, but there were no takers. As Nicole says: “Not one single enquiry – it seemed no-one wanted to give him a future after all he’d been through. Not to mention the draining of Branch funds – the vet bills added up to around £2K!”
Well, as Nicole and her husband Richard – and their family of four cats – had been fostering Samson, there was nothing to be done but to adopt him themselves!
Says Nicole: “We’d grown to love him of course, so it was a no-brainer. Samson is slowly exploring the house and is getting to know his new feline family. Oh, and he likes his home comforts – he’s found and discovered the king size bed already!
“Myself, all our volunteers and cat-lovers everywhere will join me, I’m sure, in saying thanks to Amanda for rescuing this little fella while out on her early-morning walk, and to Welfare Officer Shaki for her support during the trials and tribulation of Samson's recovery.”
Nicole has given Samson a new name to match his new life – Henry. So it’s ‘hoorah for Henry’ – the lucky lad we all hope never even thinks about using up any of the 8 lives he may, or may not, have left!
*With fund-raising being seriously curtailed by the restrictions of Covid-19, Please consider donating what you can to help the cats – some healthy, some poorly – but all needy – in CP’s care. Donating is easy ... simply click on the Donate link at the top of our website - thank you!