Thanks to a microchip, an Offerton, Stockport cat who had been missing for almost a year has been reunited with his family after being found near death by two strangers.
Purcy belonged to Helen Campion and her family, who had spent the past 10 months searching for him. They put up posters and went door to door with no luck. Eventually, they took down the posters and resigned themselves to the conclusion Pursy was gone forever.
One day Ryan Fogarty and his partner Tony opened the door after hearing a cry of pain coming from the garden area of their home. It was Purcy. The poor kitty was too weak to even stand and he was covered in ticks.
The couple took Purcy in, spooned water in his mouth, then wrapped him in a blanket. They contacted the RSPCA who told them to take the kitty to Vets Now pet emergency hospital in Manchester. Purcy was placed in an incubator for 24 hours where he was given painkillers and sub-q fluids.
Purcy was bathed to remove the ticks and oil from his skin. He was also shaved in the areas too saturated with oil for it to wash off.
The team found the microchip and contacted Helen to tell her Purcy was found alive. Helen stated in an interview with Metro.co.uk
‘I just want to thank Ryan and Tony and everyone at Vets Now for all they did for him. ‘Purcy was so far gone that when they rang to say he’d been brought in they warned me he may well not make it. ‘But somehow he pulled through and to look him now he’s totally unrecognisable from the cat Ryan and Tony found. ‘People say cats don’t remember their owners after a while – but I can tell you that’s rubbish because when I walked into the hospital, Purcy tried to stand up in his incubator even though his legs were too weak to let him‘I was in floods of tears, so was my son Owen, 14. Purcy is actually Owen’s cat and I can’t tell you how much it means to Owen to have Purcy home.’
No one knows how Purcy was able to wander five miles from home, nor do they know what happened to him. When Purcy arrived home he had to wear a special vest to keep him warm. The heating in the home had to be on full blast (which had the rest of the family sweltering).
He also had to be carefully fed to prevent liver failure. Poor Purcy was skin and bones. The vet gave them a feeding chart on how to gradually increase the amount of food he could be given each day.
Dr Louise Abuzet, advanced practitioner in emergency and critical care said
‘Stories like this make our job so worthwhile. ‘Purcy’s case highlights how important it is owners microchip their cats.’
Helen believes by the summer that Purcy will be able to go enjoy time outdoors. They’ve escape-proofed the fence so he can’t get off their property.
This article is the ‘Cliff Notes’ version of the original story found here. It’s very long. You can read more on Purcy and view more photos by going to the link.
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Beautiful.
Especially as the finder’s own cat was sitting next to poor Purcy in her state of collapse. That’s so touching.
Looks like that was a lot of work to get Purcy through that awful ordeal. It really is luck of the draw as to how well a straying cat will do on the street.
A long happy life to Purcy and family!