Palatial new abode for stray cat Daisy

Picking her way through broken glass and construction debris to find scraps to eat was part of daily life for stray cat Daisy.

But after a remarkable rescue by Blue Cross, the striking tabby has a palatial new home.

The gorgeous cat has gone from rags to riches after she was given a helping hand by our team.

Two-year-old Daisy now has the run of woodland and gardens in the palatial surroundings of the centuries-old Blenheim Palace estate, where former prime minister Winston Churchill was born.

The young cat can explore to her heart’s content from her new home at the historic house’s luxurious Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat.

Watching Daisy parade through the beautiful gardens surrounding the palace estate’s luxury self-catering lodges, where she is cared for seven days a week by the on-site team, it’s a world away from the car park where she was found.

Poor Daisy was just managing to survive each day when Blue Cross stepped in.

Danger surrounded the young cat – who also had kittens with her – as she dodged construction work, broken glass, and even rat poison to make it through the day.

Sadly, one of Daisy’s kittens had already been fatally hit by a car in the perilous conditions.

But with Daisy and three of her kittens – Tom, Oscar and Mary – miraculously surviving, Blue Cross was able to give the little family a fresh start.

While attending gaming convention Insomnia at the NEC Birmingham to encourage new supporters to join the annual Blue Cross Hallow-Stream fundraiser, our events team stepped in to help Daisy and her kittens. 

“We felt compelled to do something,” explains Thomas Martin, Virtual Events Officer at Blue Cross.

“There was a skip, broken glass, and rat poison on the ground as there was building work going on.

“Daisy was very friendly and we had the impression she might’ve been a pet in the past. She wanted lots of fuss and attention.

“But the kittens had clearly never been near a human before and were very scared and basically feral.

“We didn’t know how we would catch an unknown number of kittens running around the car park, but we were so worried about them and needed to help.”

With available rescue spots in short supply, our rehoming centres pulled out all the stops to make space for Daisy and her family.

Blue Cross Bromsgrove was able to take the cats in overnight, before they could be moved to our Burford rehoming centre to be cared for in the longer term.

Tracking down traps and carriers from a local RSPCA centre, the Blue Cross events team initially caught Daisy and young Tom, before later bringing Oscar and Mary to safety.

The team travelled hundreds of miles between the car park in the West Midlands, our Bromsgrove centre and finally Blue Cross Burford to make sure all the cats were safe.

Thomas continues: “It was all worth it to reunite mum and kittens. It was so nice to have made a difference because they really couldn’t have stayed in that situation.

“Going from a building site in a car park to Blenheim Palace is absolutely incredible.”

Once Daisy was back together with her two-month-old kittens, the whole family could be given the care they needed.

Routine vet care included vaccinations, neutering, microchipping, flea and worming treatments, while Daisy also needed dental work to remove two broken teeth.

After plenty of care and attention from the team at Blue Cross Burford, all the kittens found loving new homes where they are thriving.

As for Daisy, the once-vulnerable stray is now mistress of a rather magnificent manor.

With around 2,000 acres of Blenheim Palace estate on her doorstep, it’s clear she’s in feline heaven.

Simon Oliver, Park Manager at Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat, says: “Daisy has settled in really well and everyone has taken to her.

“Daisy was very thin when she first came, but she’s put on weight and she’s really healthy. 

“She’ll just lay there for people to tickle her. She loves the attention.”

Roaming around the birch and oak trees that surround Blenheim Palace Lodge Retreat – which recently appeared on BBC One’s Interior Design Masters with comedian Alan Carr – Daisy can indulge her independent side too.

“It’s brought everyone together having Daisy here,” adds Simon. “We’re a good team anyway, but it’s really compounded it.”

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