Sole survivor

Simba was nameless when he entered the clinic with the man who saved his life.

The tiny kitten had been discovered the day before in a shed; the only survivor of a litter of four, with their mother nowhere in sight.

Mohammed Rajput received a call for help from a relative one Sunday when she made the upsetting discovery in her garden shed. The keen cat lover took the lonely kitten into his home and brought him straight to our Merton animal hospital in London the following day.

“Simba’s eyes were watery, he had a runny nose and he was sneezing. Mohammed had been cleaning his eyes and handfeeding the kitten to help him gain strength, but knew he needed veterinary attention,” said Blue Cross vet Galla Remolins.

Galla diagnosed Simba with cat flu and gave Mohammed medication for his newly rescued pet. Cat flu can cause serious eye damage, and can even be fatal, so prompt vet treatment is essential. Galla weighed Simba and, importantly, discovered the youngster was a boy! On finding out the young cat was male, Mohammed named him Simba.

“Simba weighed less than half a kilo and was only about five weeks old when he was found,” added Galla. “He is lucky to have been discovered when he was, and to have an owner who cares about him so much.”