Doncaster volunteers rescue success after 13-day ordeal for escaped cat
A cat who went missing after escaping her cat carrier has been rescued thanks to a community effort.
Merry and her two siblings were adopted from the Doncaster volunteer team 12 years ago as kittens and lived happily with their family in Beal. Sadly, one of their owners recently died and the other could no longer care for them.
While the cats were being loaded into a car after a vet check in Kirk Sandal, ahead of them being admitted by Cats Protection Doncaster, the catch on one of the carriers broke and Merry ran off.
Posters and leaflets were distributed around the area in the hope that she might be spotted hiding out, having been seen to run across a busy road near the station.
Volunteers from Cats Protection Doncaster spent several nights searching for Merry, with a brief sighting temporarily raising spirits. As the days passed, and a few sightings turned out to be false alarms, there were fears she would not be found.
But 13 days later, there were reports of a cat drinking from a bird bath in the early morning which fitted Merry’s description. This was some distance from where she originally went missing so more posters and leaflets were put up, which successfully yielded tips on her suspected whereabouts.
Armed with new information, volunteers set up humane traps and waited to see if she would appear. After a short time, Merry appeared and, clearly hungry, entered the trap to get to the food which had been laid as bait.
Ruth Clark, fosterer and welfare team leader, had cared for Merry and her siblings when they were kittens prior to their adoption and knew them to be sweet and loving cats.
“We were so happy to have found her. In the 13 days she was missing we believe she crossed busy roads and the railway line at least twice, so she was very lucky to have not come to any harm,” said Ruth.
“Merry’s rescue was a real team effort; we never gave up on her. She is now safely with her siblings Poppy and Perry, who had been missing her terribly, and they will soon appear on our website ready for rehoming.”