MyPaper | Dec 28, 2011

Help needed with hefty vet bills Rachel Chan

WHAT do Harry, Nanas and Bombay have in common? They are stray cats that have succumbed to illness, while incurring medical bills in excess of $1,500 each. Harry – suspected to have been kicked or hit by a car – had suffered neural damage, was blind in one eye and had a left paw amputated to prevent the spread of gangrene. Nanas wasted away because of low blood count while Bombay was a victim of renal failure. The three felines might have been left to their respective fates, except that their caregivers loved them so much that they were willing to cough up thousands of dollars to treat them. The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) is helping the caregivers raise up to $1,000 each, to defray the cats’ medical costs. Internet users can easily find their appeals on the CWS website and make a donation. “CWS’ main aim is to promote sterilisation, but we do realise that caregivers also take on an additional burden when it comes to the medical treatment of community cats. We want to help them defray the cost so that they can help more cats,” said CWS vice-president Veron Lau. The voluntary welfare organisation receives between three and six appeals for donations a month, each ranging from tens of dollars to thousands. However, how quickly donation appeals are answered depends on the time of year and the cat’s predicament, she said. It seems that donors are more willing to contribute in cases of abuse, she said. Nanas’ caregiver, Ms Shirley Goh, a 43-year-old housewife, said that it took more than two months to raise some $1,000 to cover the cost of a medical bill for another cat which had died of renal failure. By press time, she still needs another $78 for Nanas, while Bombay’s caregiver needs $156 more, and Harry’s needs $365. Bombay’s caregiver, private tutor Ena Oh, 37, recalled that she terminated a life-savings plan in order to raise the cash required to treat her feline friends. When asked why, she replied: “I just love them, especially those in need of help. The more they are in need of help, the more I love them. “I can’t bear not spending the money if there is even a slight chance that they will recover.” Source: AsiaOne