A stray cat who was found alone with multiple injuries is now thriving in a new home, thanks to the care of leading animal welfare charity, Battersea.
One-year-old cat, Mel, whose story is featured in ITV’s For The Love of Dogs with Alison Hammond, came into the charity’s London centre after being found by a member of the public with friction marks across her back, fractured ribs, and a serious limp with her injuries being consistent with those of an animal who may have been hit by a vehicle.
Sorrel Magenta, Rehoming and Welfare Manager at Battersea’s London Cattery, said: “We were shocked by Mel’s injuries when she came into us and whilst we can’t say for certain what might have happened to her, it is possible that her injuries were sustained as result of some kind of collision possibly with a car”.
Battersea’s expert veterinary team immediately set to work to give her the treatment she needed, administering intensive pain relief. Along with her other wounds, Mel had glaucoma in her left eye, a condition caused by a build-up of fluid pressure within the eye. Sadly, for Mel, she had already lost sight in this eye and Battersea’s vet team made the decision to remove it to give her the best chance of living a healthy life to save her from pain and discomfort.
After her surgery Mel began making steady progress, getting used to the world around with one eye and bravely going through a special course of laser therapy, which uses light energy to target cells, helping to stimulate tissue repair, reducing pain and inflammation to help heal her injuries.
Sorrel added: “Even having gone through such a trying time, she took to life with one eye in no time with our expert feline behaviour team, who go all in every day to give our rescue animals the vital care they need, helping her awareness. Whilst she was in her cat pen they introduced her to new toys and helped her to feel just like a normal cat. With plenty of love and attention we really began see her mischievous personality flourish”.
Alongside Battersea’s expert staff, For the Love of Dogs presenter, Alison Hammond, was also on hand to help Mel get better with plenty of strokes and treats to cheer up on her road to recovery.
With Mel making great progress, it wasn’t long before she was ready for to find a new home and she is now loving life with new owners Cameron and Abi.
Speaking about the sweet feline, Cameron said: “Mel has taken to home life so well. She plays in her favourite cardboard box, zooms around the house and curls up on our laps of an evening. She was very lucky to get the help she needed from Battersea and now she’s now getting the second chance in life that she deserves”.
Tune in to see Mel’s story unfold in the second episode of the new series of For the Love of Dogs with Alison Hammond airing Tuesday 8th April on ITV1 at 8:30pm.
To find out about how Battersea improves the lives of animals with care and expertise, please visit the Battersea website to find out more: https://www.battersea.org.uk
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For further information, images or interviews please contact press@battersea.org.uk
Notes to editors
• At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with other organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.
• In 2023 Battersea directly cared for 2,529 dogs and 2,450 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through campaigning work, supporting other rescues and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
• Battersea has three centres based in London; Old Windsor, Berkshire; and Brands Hatch, Kent.
• To find out more visit our website or follow Battersea on Twitter @battersea_ , Instagram @battersea, Facebook facebook.com/Battersea and TikTok @battersea.