2 Nov -Update on Syl and Chop

Hi all, both kittens are doing very well. Sylvia is extremely active and begs me to let her out to play with my cats all the time. since she still has the pin inside her arm, i can only let her out for a few minutes. my cat Tiger has been playing mom to her and cleans her up every time she cames out to play, which is very sweet. Chop has all the bandages off and i can see his arm and leg are getting more strength every day. he cat sit up to enjoy his food now. so no more lying on the side and getting his face wet during meals. i have to do physiotheraphy on his hind leg twice a day and i can see his joints are improving bit by bit. the vet said he may need another surgery when he is older cos his arm is too small for any bone pins and we'll have to wait and see how things go.

Helena

3 October 05 Long Queue of Visitors

Sylvia has become a wonderful addition to my house, although she is not ready to meet some new feline friends. She makes no noise at night, and all she longs for is affection and love. Every now and then she would make a little squeak if she couldn’t see my face while I was hustling around in the room. She was also responding to both her Chinese name and English name, which is proof that she is a smart kitten!

In the evening a dozen cat lovers and volunteers came to my flat to visit Sylvia, who has now become more or less a celebrity in the community. The long queue outside the bathroom did not freak her out. Instead, she welcomed everyone’s gentle touches and kind wishes like a graceful movie star.

A number of people have already indicated their wishes to adopt Sylvia, but I understand that she is still a long way away from full recovery. Right now the focus of my work in on taking good care of her and giving her all the love that she deserves. With her natural optimism, I am confident that the trauma that she had to go through will not prevent her from enjoying a wonderful and happy life in the future.


05年10月3日 到訪者大排長龍

雖然小花仍然未能離開籠子去認識我家中其他的貓朋友，但她已成為我們可愛的新成員。小花不會在夜裡嘈吵，她所渴望擁有的就只是關懷和疼愛。每當我在房中忙著，她看不見我時，她便會輕輕地叫一聲。她更懂得回應自己的中、英文名字，證明她是隻聰明得很的小貓呢!

晚上，有十多位愛貓人士和義工到我家探望小花。現在，她可算成為了「城中名貓」! 在浴室外排隊等候的人龍並沒有嚇怕小花。相反地，小花十分樂意接受每位探訪者的撫摸和祝福，猶如一位風度有禮的電影明星。

很多人已經表明願意收養小花，但我知道她距離完全康復的日子還是很遠。現在我首要做的，便是給予她妥善的照顧和她應得的關懷愛護。小花天生樂天的性格使我深信，過去她受過的種種傷害，一定不會影響她將來的幸福生活!

2 October 05 New Home

I received a call from the clinic that Sylvia was ready to leave and go to her new home! I immediately set up the cage in my bathroom and placed the most comfortable blankets inside for her enjoyment. Feeling extremely excited, I went over to pick up my new foster baby.

Sylvia was lying in the cage quietly when I arrived at the clinic. The vet has used bone pins in her two limbs to stabilize the fracture points and extra bandage was used to wrap up her other hind leg so that she wouldn’t scratch the wound on her belly. After briefly checking on Chop Chop, the second victim, and taking more than half a dozen types of medication and special food from the clinic assistant, I happily brought Sylvia back to my flat.

Sylvia had no difficulty adjusting to the new environment. The moment her little body hit the blanket, she started purring away and falling asleep. What an optimistic kitten! It really is a wonderful feeling when an animal places complete trust into your hands. I sat next to the cage and watched Sylvia for a short while, admiring her pretty face and wondered what dream she was having in the midst of her tender snoring.


05年10月2日 新的家

收到診所的來電，說小花Sylvia 終於可以「出院」回家了! 我連忙在浴室放置好一個大籠，並放進一些最溫暖舒適的毯子，好讓小花享受一下。接着，我便滿懷興奮地到診所迎接小花 – 我新的暫托寶寶。

當我來到診所，小花已在籠中安靜地躺着等候。為了固定小花斷骨的位置，醫生在她受傷的兩肢斷骨上鑲了骨針，同時亦為她另一隻沒有受傷的後肢包紮起來，以免她抓破肚子上的傷口。我在助護手上接過小花超過六、七種要服食的藥，和一些特別配方的貓糧，又探望過第二位受害的小朋友 – Chop Chop， 我便高興地帶着小花回家。

對於要面對新環境，小花竟沒有半點兒不適應。她的小身軀甫觸着柔軟的毯子，便開始打呼嚕，不久還睡着了。她真是一隻樂天的小貓! 小動物在你手中貫以完全的信任的感覺實在很美妙。我在籠子旁邊坐着，靜看着小花，一邊欣賞着她漂亮的面孔，一邊猜想着這個酣睡中的小東西正在造着什麼樣的甜夢。

30 September 05 Friday Another Victim

Sylvia went into surgery in the afternoon. I waited anxiously for updates on her situation. At around 4:30, I called the clinic and was told that she had just came out of operation and was on her way back to the Sai Wan clinic.

Just when I, and many others who cared about Sylvia’s situation, began to feel a bit relieved, I was told that Miss Mui has found another kitten in Mong Kok! Three of his limbs seemed to be broken and he had a large open wound near the joint to his forearm. I could hear the kitten screaming in pain when I was on the phone with Miss Mui.

I went to visit Sylvia after work and she was still trying to shake the anesthetic off when I walked in. To my surprise the little thing looked really good despite her two plastered limbs. I invited Miss Mui, who was sitting in the waiting room after dropping off the second kitten, to visit Sylvia briefly. Upon hearing the lady’s voice, Sylvia gave out a loud “Meow~” which made everyone in the room laugh. She certainly has not forgotten the kind lady who had taken care of her for more than ten days.

The other kitten was less fortunate. The vet found fractures to various degrees in all his limbs and the worst injury was in his left forearm, where the broken bone penetrated his muscles and skin, causing a big opening with high risk of infection. Against the vet’s initial advice to put the kitten down, we decided to try our best to save it’s life. He had 3 of his limbs wrapped up and hopefully they would heal on their own since he is just 3 months old! The badly injured one, however, would require surgery or even amputation.


05年9月30日 又一小貓被害!

今天下午，小花終於能接受手術。我一直在等候小花的消息，心裡焦急得很。大約4:30，我致電動物診所，才知道小花的手術剛剛完成，小花正返回西環診所途中。


小花的手術尚算成功，我和一群同樣關心小花的朋友都感到很安慰。正想為小花呼一口氣時，我竟然接到梅女士的電話，說她在旺角又發現了笫二隻小貓受害! 梅女士說受害小貓的三肢都似乎被折斷了，另外一隻前肢更有一個割開了的傷口! 從電話的聽筒中，我還聽到小貓痛楚的哀號!

下班後，我到診所探望小花。雖然麻醉劑的藥力還沒有完全散去，兩肢亦被包紮得厚厚一團，但這個小家伙的樣子卻沒有什麼大不了似的，這倒給我一個驚喜! 梅女士也來到了診所放下第二隻受害的小生命。小花聽到梅女士的聲音，竟大聲地「喵」了一聲，診所裡的人都笑了。小花這個小東西可沒有忘記梅女士過往十多天的照料呢!

至於第二隻受害的小貓可沒有小花那樣幸運。醫生發現小貓的四肢勻有不同程度的骨折，左前肢的斷骨更刺穿了週圍的肌肉及皮膚組織，造成一個極大的傷口，很容易受細菌感染，情況極為嚴重。醫生建議我們把小貓的生命結束，但我們並不同意，我們總希望盡力救回他的小生命。他畢竟只有三個月大! 結果，醫生為他傷勢較輕的三肢包紮好，好讓斷肢慢慢自然癒合; 至於嚴重受傷的左前肢就必須進行手術醫治，或者甚至要整隻前肢切除。

29 September 05 Brutalized Kitten

Sylvia arrives at the clinic and is found to have multiple fractures on her left forearm and right hind leg. Her elbow was basically shattered into pieces. Everyone at the clinic was shocked to learn that her injuries were the outcome of a madman’s violence.

After having her stab wound treated, Sylvia was placed in one of the cages, where she lied in silence. I walked up to her slowly and gently called out her name. She opened her tired eyes and let out a weak squeak. When I rubbed her cute little nose she started purring like crazy. Everyone was amazed that after she has been brutalized and nearly crushed by a madman, she still finds comfort in human company.

Sylvia fell asleep in the cage while the vet and I discussed the details of the operation to be held the next day. There was no knowing if she will regain full mobility of her forearm, and all we could do was pray for a successful surgery.


05年9月29日 慘被暴虐的小花

小花 Sylvia 被帶到動物診所接受診治，發現她的左前肢及右後肢都有多處骨折，肩骨更被折得幾乎粉碎。診所裡每一個人都十分震驚，實難明世上竟有如此殘酷的施暴者。

醫生為小花治理過腹部的刀傷後便將小花放進籠中。小花只是安靜的躺著。我慢慢地走向小花，輕輕地叫喚她的名字。她睜開疲倦的雙眼，還發出微弱的叫聲。當我伸手撫摸她可愛的小鼻子時，她更不停地打著呼嚕。大家都料想不到，這個差點命送暴徒魔掌的小東西，竟然對人類還存在信任，仍會在人類的陪伴中找到安慰。

當醫生和我商討有關明天的手術時，小花已在籠中沉沉的睡著了。醫生告訴我，小花的前肢能否於手術後完全恢復正常活動能力仍是未知之數。現在我們可以做的，就只有為小花祈禱，希望明天的手術成功。

28 Sept 05 Rescue Mission

Miss Rosa Cheng, a member of the Hong Kong Alley Cat Watch family, brought to my attention a 4 month old kitten, brutalized in Mong Kok and desperately in need of surgery. The injured cat was found by a retired lady, Miss Mui, who feeds strays in the area, with two broken limbs and a stab wound in its belly. The kitten was brought to a nearby clinic and the vet found further trauma to its spine.

After looking into the case we discovered the kitten had been waiting 10 days for surgery, but Miss Mui, being an elderly person with no income, could not afford the operation fees. Therefore, Miss Rosa Cheng has begun a fund raising campaign and appealed to HKACW for help.

Time is running out, and Siu Fa (Little Flower) has already missed the golden week for operation. HKACW has now decided to intervene and take over the case so Siu Fa will be treated as soon as possible. After being assured that the kitten will be in very good hands and that HKACW will bear all the medical expenses, Miss Mui agreed to surrender Siu Fa to us the next morning.


05年9月28日 拯救行動

從 Hong Kong Alley Cat Watch (HKACW) 成員 Rosa 那裡得知一個令我極為關注的消息 – 一隻4個月大被暴虐的小貓，正急切須要接受手術治理。原來，受害的小貓 (取名小花) 是被一位在旺角餵飼流浪貓的梅女士發現的。被發現時，小花兩肢慘被折斷，腹部還有明顯的刀傷。及後，小花被帶到鄰近動物診所求醫，更進一步發現小花的脊骨亦有創傷。

由於梅女士已經退休，沒有工作和收入，她實沒有能力負擔小花昂貴的手術費用，所以當我們得知此事時，已是發現小花受害的第十天。因此，Rosa 開始為小花展開籌款活動，並向 HKACW 尋求協助。

小花的手術是不可再延誤的了，於是HKACW 決定接收這個個案，並向梅女士保證，小花一定會獲得妥善的照顧，而一切醫療開支亦將會由該會負責。梅女士考慮後，終於願意在第二天交小花予 HKACW。