Rescue cat saves stray kitten
After going outside for the first time, rescue cat Sidney returned home with a rain-soaked kitten.
Weeks after being rehomed, an RSPCA rescue cat saved an abandoned kitten.
Sidney, a ten-year-old tabby cat was rescued by the RSPCA In September 2022. On arrival at the charity’s centre, he was underweight and suffering from a skin allergy. He wasn’t microchipped and no one came forward to claim him, so after receiving veterinary care to restore him back to health, Sidney was put up for adoption.
He quickly found a new home with Katerina Miteva who kept Sidney inside for a few weeks until he was familiar with his new surroundings. After going outside for the first time, he returned home with a rain-soaked kitten.
Ms Miteva said: “I remember hearing this 'meow' behind me. I turned around to see Sidney standing there, holding something hairy and dripping wet in his mouth. At first, I thought he had brought home a dead animal he caught, but then the tiniest squeak came from whatever he was holding in his mouth.
“I examined the little thing closer and realised, to my surprise, that Sidney was carrying a really small kitten. I grabbed the nearest kitchen towel and wrapped the kitten in it then took him straight to the vet. I had no idea what else to do, the poor thing was covered in fleas and was shivering violently, barely making any noise.
“Sidney was waiting by the front door when I came back with the kitten a few hours later and kept following me around and sitting next to me or the kitten as if he was keeping watch. The vet wasn't optimistic about the kitten's survival chances, he was just five weeks old when Sidney found him. He's a little fighter and with some loving care and under the watchful eye of Sidney he beat the odds and made a full recovery."
Attempts were made to trace the owner and subsequently find a new home for the kitten, but after no one came forward, Ms Miteva adopted him. She added: I often wonder what made Sidney rescue a helpless kitten. Sidney is not what you would call a social cat, he tends to stay away from other cats and he keeps himself to himself. He is as antisocial as I am, which I find funny!
“I like to think that he, just like many other animals, is a good judge of character. I think that despite his reluctance to be around other cats, Sidney is compassionate and knew if he brought the struggling kitten home I would help, just as I had helped him when I rescued him. I'm so proud of him for his act of heroism, the little kitten was unlikely to have survived without his help.”
RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.
