20-year-old cat missing for nine years reunited with owner and euthanized two hours later
This is the extraordinary story of a female cat named Babsy. At the age of 11, she left her home living with Mike Marshall. She disappeared for nine years. Mike presumed that she had died but she appears to have lived in the open air for those nine years.
Babsy before she disappeared at when she came back aged 20. Photo: RSPCA
During that time she had crossed a busy motorway and survived almost a decade enduring the outside elements.
At the age of 20, which is about a hundred years of age in human terms, blind and wobbly on her feet, she was recovered by the RSPCA about 5 miles from Mike’s home after they had been alerted to Babsy presence.
Babsy was micro-chipped. The RSPCA were able, therefore, to discover that Mike Marshall was her guardian/owner. He had not moved over the intervening years.
The RSPCA took Babsy to Mike and Inspector Cooper had goosebumps when she handed Babsy to her human companion. Babsy recognised him immediately and began to purr. Mike took her straight to a veterinarian where she was euthanised. That sounds extraordinary because it meant that she only had about two hours with her human companion on returning home.
It is very sad and when you read the story you can understand why the ending was Babsy’s euthanasia. Although having considered it I think it was a mistake.
Babsy reunited with MIke. Photo: RSPCA
Mike Marshall describes what happened:
“I would like to thank the RSPCA inspector for her kindness in returning her back home to me. Upon a subsequent visit to the vets, Babsy was discovered to be blind, had severe mobility issues and her overall physical deterioration would have necessitated sedation and anaesthesia before any detailed assessment and treatment could be undertaken. It was deemed that she would have been unlikely to survive these procedures and undertaking them would have caused her unnecessary distress and suffering.”
Therefore she was euthanised. Mike Marshall says that Babsy had a full, active and adventurous life which had run its course and he reluctantly decided to let her go peacefully. He said that she came home for her last couple of hours and for that he will be forever grateful.
P.S. I wonder if he could have let her live for a while longer. If she was not in pain or there was no sign of her being in pain, why not take her home and give her plenty of love? What’s wrong with that?
What do you think about the ending?
Source: Express.