Fundraiser set up for Skirza cat hit by vehicle on quiet road
A couple in the Freswick area have set up a GoFundMe appeal to help get their Maine Coon cat back on his feet after an accident on their quiet country road.
Janet Aykroyd and her husband Tim have been self-professed "cat people" all their lives and used to show and breed their feline friends. She said: “We live in Skirza, Freswick, on a very quiet single track.
"There is little traffic and we chose the house with great care to allow our cats to be free. There are few cars on our road, but I must admit I had been getting a little concerned because of the advent of electric cars and how silent they are."
The couple bought their pedigree Maine Coon called Baxter last year and thought they were a safe enough distance away from the NC500 traffic heading to and from John O'Groats. "When Baxter got knocked off his paws, we were just tidying up outside ready for coming in. One of our other cats saw what happened and showed us where he ran to. It was immediately clear that he either had a broken pelvis or leg."
Janet added: "Our road is usually the most peaceful place for any animals and has been for the last eight years we’ve lived here – there have been rabbits, a deer and another cat found much further down the road where there are more vehicles, but our bit is exceptionally quiet. I suppose that’s what’s so upsetting for us – our peaceful little idyll has been spoilt. What were the odds? Almost none but it happened anyway."
Baxter's fractured femur on his back right leg needed much more complex attention than was available in Caithness so he was taken to a specialist veterinary hospital in Fife to be operated on. "Baxter was operated on within a couple of hours of our appointment and has a stainless steel rod in his leg to stabilise the three sections, and a plate screwed on to the outside of the bones to keep all the pieces together. He is young and made a very quick recovery to standing and walking."
Janet has retired due to ill health and her husband Tim (74) works part-time at a Wick supermarket to make ends meet. After costs for Baxter's treatment soared up to nearly £4000, the couple decided to start a fundraising page to recoup some of the money. "We are not well off at all in the scheme of things but we manage to pay our way – usually. This has knocked us sideways though."
Janet said they had insurance for their pets for over 15 years but found that "many things were not covered" by the policies. "Although we paid for years, in general the only time we wanted to claim was once a cat was about eight-years-old, the excess would be high, the percentage recouped was low and we got next to nothing back."
The couple say they will now make their garden safe for Baxter and their other cats they own and have been overwhelmed by the generosity shown for their fundraiser so far.
Anyone who wishes to donate to the GoFundMe page to help Baxter get back on his paws should visit: gofund.me/0c18bebc