The Mayhew helps save kitten dumped in Homebase car park

Kimmie being bathed and cleaned (Photo: The Mayhew) (Image: Archant)

On arrival at The Mayhew, Kimmie was soaking wet, extremely underweight and looked like she had been lying in engine oil.

Head vet, Dr Ursula Goetz, said: “Poor Kimmie was in a bad way - it looked like she had been lying in engine oil, she was unsteady on her feet, and very underweight.

“Her whole body was also twitching, which we thought might have been caused by the intoxication of the oil when she tried to lick herself clean.

“The oil covered most of her stomach to the extent that she could not move her hind legs freely as it was sticking so tightly to the wounds caused by the oil on her tummy.”

She added: “During the thorough health check, we discovered that Kimmie had also developed ulcers in her mouth, most likely caused from the oil she had been cleaning off herself. She was on several different treatments, but it was a joy to see her become cheekier and more confident day by day.

“Kimmie is such a sweet and affectionate character; she was forever making us laugh with her playful personality.”

The home’s staff quickly nursed Kimmie back to full strength before the cattery team worked on finding the kitten a new home where she was eventually renamed Pepsi.

The Mayhew’s animal welfare officer, Tania Mazzoni, said: “Where pet owners are having difficulty, we urge them to contact us first and we will see what we can do to help. If owners called us in the first instance, we can help in many other ways rather than the last resort of them dumping their pet.

“As animal welfare officers, our job is to help pets and advise their owners on the best course of action. We are here to help the animal and prevent suffering, no matter what the problem is, we do not judge anyone.”

Anyone wishing to adopt a cat from the home should call 020 8962 8000.