Our cat Billy went missing for months. Last Friday we got a phone call from a nice lady called Bobbie and was told that Billy was badly injured. We picked Billy up from Tuscan Walk near Waitrose in Chandler’s Ford, but he soon escaped as my son returned from the Scouts later in the evening. Billy rushed out and limped all the way back to Tuscan Walk, a journey of 1.5 miles, to his favourite neighbourhood.
On Saturday morning, we picked Billy up again and took him straight to the vet on Winchester Road. (One of the vets in this surgery sells local honey from Hiltingbury.) Over the weekend, Billy was cleaned, his injured leg was stitched, and he is now recovering at home. Billy still needs to go back to the vet again later this week. Once he is recovered, with sadness, I feel he really needs a new home.
As Chris de Burgh sings “If you really love her, let her go,” with Billy, his heart is not on Hursley Road and its surrounding areas at South Millers’ Dale, it may be unkind to keep him here, though we have showered him with affection. We’ve tried for over two years, but his regular disappearances and regular residence around Oakmount Road and Tuscan Walk showed that his heart is with the neighbourhood there.
I have spoken to Helen Farrar, who runs Cat & Kitten Rescue in Chandler’s Ford, where we adopted the cat. Helen said there is nothing we could do about Billy’s choice of home and his wandering. Billy is feral. Billy has total freedom to roam. As Helen’s rescue centre is full, she can’t take Billy in.
Yes for Scotland?
Some people suggested that Billy should be sent faraway from Chandler’s Ford, so that he wouldn’t keep going back to Tuscan Walk. How far is far? I asked. “Well, Scotland would be great,” one friend suggested.
Local adoption?
Perhaps some family from Tuscan Walk, Oakmount Road, or Peverells Road area would be more suitable? Since Billy loves the community there and has found his root, wouldn’t it be sensible for him to stay there? My dear reader, do you have any wise suggestion for me? Could you help cure my heartache?
Related posts about Billy:
Dear Janet,
I can emphasise with you about your cat – our lovely little tabby Joules was the same and she travelled all round Chandler’s Ford – she was quite a timid cat when we first had her as she was feral too. Eventually she became a very loving cat and would quite often follow people home in the Hiltingbury area if they walked past our house and one time we had to get her from the King Rufus pub as she had followed some people up there and then she was rubbing round people’s feet in the bar. Thankfully someone contacted us from her collar ID !
She always knew when we came home and would run along our road when she heard our cars or my work’s van but sadly she got knocked down and killed out right just out side our house – think she had heard my van coming down the road from wherever she was and then crossed the road and got hit by a car – she was always dodging the cars in the road and certainly had more than her allotted 9 lives in her young age of 11! We all miss her little face greeting us with a friendly Mioww when we get home. Our dog was her best friend and kept sitting in the garden waiting for her to come home for quite a while. I hope Billy finds a safe sanctuary soon. xx