When Mopher and Arthur’s owner needed to go into hospital over the Christmas period, her first thought was not for herself, but her two beloved cats.

Her family were away at the time, and so the owner was afraid that she’d have to cancel her scheduled operation to take care of her pets, potentially putting her own life at risk.

Luckily, we were able to step in and admit Mopher and Arthur into our Cattery for a temporary period, whilst the owner was in hospital.

Our Pet Refuge programme is a lifeline for owners and animals in need, who would otherwise have to make the impossible choice between refusing help and support, or giving up their pet permanently. Through Pet Refuge, we are able to provide temporary care and shelter for the pets of people facing a crisis, whether that be an ongoing issue or an unexpected emergency.

Mopher and Arthur have only been with their owner for a year, but she is completely besotted with the brothers and always puts them first.

When an old illness flared, she was obviously very concerned for her feline companions, and also worried about the consequences of moving her appointment – she didn’t want to cause any trouble by asking for her operation to be rescheduled.

The owner added “I found out about Pet Refuge through the Blue Cross, who recommended Mayhew’s services to me. I was so glad I discovered it – Pet Refuge meant everything to me, and made my life so much easier. I can’t thank Mayhew enough for their support at such a stressful time, and I was so happy to know that Mopher and Arthur were safe and happy without me.”

When the two cats first came into our care just before Christmas, we gave them a full health check at our Community Vet Clinic, and administered free flea and worming treatment to both of them.

We then settled them down in a warm and cosy cabin together, where they spent the festive period being spoiled by our Cattery staff and volunteers.

Happily, their owners operation went well, and she was discharged from hospital a week later. She was thrilled to welcome Mopher and Arthur back home on New Years Eve, so they could all ring in the new year together as a family.

Ellie went on to say “We are committed to keeping owners and their beloved pets together and we work hard to reduce the number or animals being relinquished to shelters against the owners will, through no fault of their own. Pet Refuge offers temporary care allowing owners to get back on their feet and be reunited with their pets as soon as they are able to take care of them again.”