by Carol Walker

In the early hours of Saturday, 24 September 2005, a kitten, taken hours before, from outside his own home, was cruelly and deliberately thrown from a bridge above the M6 near Preston onto the motorway some 60 feet below. Amazingly the kitten bounced off a car windscreen, the odds against which, at 2am, must have been phenomenal, and the driver pulled over and telephoned the police.

The nearest Veterinary Clinic (Withy Grove Veterinary Clinic, Bamber Bridge) were alerted and vet, Zoe Costigan, took the severely injured kitten to the surgery, where X-rays revealed horrific injuries to both elbow joints. One was so badly smashed that the only possible course of action was to amputate. Despite the seriousness of the other injuries, the vets decided to give the kitten a chance and to try to save it.

The SRPCC Cat Welfare Trust, the charity attached to the South Ribble Pet Cat Club, agreed to fund the treatment and the fight to save “Gouranga”, began. Everyone admits that had the patient been an angry, bad-tempered tomcat the fight would have ended before it began but this stoic little kitten had won everyone’s hearts with his gentle and affectionate nature, and so everyone put in 110% effort - from veterinary care to fundraising.

The local paper published a story and photograph of the little cat and the media train took off, one or two nationals took up the story, together with the local TV station and donations soon began to trickle in to the vets and to the SRPCC. In addition, the police operator who had taken the call offered him a home (at this point, with no microchip, no collar and no sign of any owner it was assumed that the cat was a stray).

Smokey after the amputation

Then, in another twist to this amazing story, the owners, who had been frantically searching the local area for their cat for a week, saw the picture in the paper and contacted the vets. The possible future pitfalls and responsibilities in taking on such a severely disabled cat were discussed at length but the owners were still willing to do whatever was necessary. They fully accepted that ‘Smokey’ (his real name) would never be the same cat again and that for his own safety, he should not be allowed out again.

They also understood that, at least to start with, their young children would have to ‘keep their distance’ - whilst Smokey recovered.

Ironically the husband himself had a pin in his leg following a car accident so perhaps the family had more of an insight, than they might otherwise have done. They were also willing to do what they could to pay as much of the bill as possible. The total bill owing at that piont - whilst still being a substantial amount - had already been reduced by via the donations received. Added to this a magazine had offered to pay a fee towards the bill, for the use of Smokey’s story - thus further reducing costs.

So ‘Phase 2’ of the fight to save Smokey began. For over a week it was ‘touch and go’, ups and downs. One minute the vets were hopeful, then not, as he would not move the leg and seemed depressed… then he was brighter and there was hope again… then the amputation wound was not healing! The dressing was removed to allow air to the wound and - good news - the wound improved. The dressing to the pinned leg was also removed, in the hope that this would encourage Smokey to move that leg. But, despite sitting up ‘kangaroo-style’, he made no attempt to use the leg or put weight on it.

Smokey in his recovery pen at home

Finally it was ‘all or nothing’ - the vet said that the leg just HAD to be used…

Therefore the vet decided to take the risk of removing the pin earlier than is usually the case, hoping that it would be sufficiently healed to be stable. Once the pin was removed, the vet felt that Smokey would be more comfortable and the limb would have better flexibility… would Smokey then try to use it? There was a collective holding of breath from the watching vets, owners and trustees… and - IT WORKED!

But sadly, that was not quite the happy ending it should have been. For despite the fact that he was now moving around and using the leg, the vets now noticed he had an unusual ‘rear end’ gait. All was not well. Smokey had irreparable spinal damage. He was, against all odds, alive and able to go home, and he would recover to an acceptable degree; yet he would never again be, the lively kitten he once had been. He was an extremely damaged and disabled cat, who would need special care for the rest of his life. Were his owners still willing and able to cope?

Astonishingly the owners were prepared for all of the above and within days Smokey was allowed home. Initially he was still confined to one room, still extremely disabled but alive and back with the family he loved and who loved him.

All seems well for now but it is still early days, although the owners know they have whatever support they need from the SRPCC and the vets. But they certainly love him enough to cope and they were willing to do anything to pay the bill themselves if possible. Happily, through the incredible generosity of local people, with donations, and the power of the internet (resulting in countrywide sales of items on eBay to raise funds for him) that bill has been reduced considerably, certainly to a more manageable level.

Many an owner would not have come forward, or, having come forward, would have backed out because of the size of the potential bill. And even after that, having him home and realising how terribly disabled he will be for the rest of his life and the strain of keeping him safe would have put many off. But Smokey’s family have remained steadfast in their bid to have him home… and home he now is!

Maybe it is not as happy an ending as it could have been, but it as happy an ending as is possible, in the circumstances. In reality this is nothing short of a miracle, as the odds were stacked against Smokey from the very minute he was thrown off that bridge.

The fact that Smokey survived at all is a credit to the veterinary attention he received from the vets, Zoe Costigan and Mandy Hogan and, most of all, to that amazing little cat’s incredible inner resources and his will to live.

by Carol Walker