The elderly feline was one of thousands taken in by the animal shelter this year.
The elderly feline was one of thousands taken in by the animal shelter this year.
COULOUNIEIX CHAMIERS, France— — Ernest Bio Bogore
A frail, stray cat in France has found his forever home after the coronavirus pandemic led to an increase in abandoned pets in the country.
The cat, believed to be more than 15 years old, was found in “bad shape” in the commune of Coulounieix Chamiers, a suburb of Périgueux, and was rescued by members of the Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA) shelter on Nov. 4.
The senior feline was taken to a veterinarian and underwent treatment for six days for organ-related issues. Suffering from serious liver and kidney disease, he had to be fed special food and received infusion therapy to speed up his recovery. While still weak, the cat has since regained some of his strength.
Volunteers at the shelter named him Mumiah after the 72nd angel in the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah. The guardian angel is said to protect those born between March 16-20 and symbolizes perseverance, rebirth and regeneration.
After a couple of weeks, the shelter finally received a call from a family in the area who was excited about bringing Mumiah home. The facility shared the good news in a Facebook post on Nov. 18.
The adoptive family has since renamed him Georges and gave an update on the cat on Nov. 20, saying he was doing well but struggling to chew his kibble. He is due back at the vet in the next few days for a series of tests.
Between 100,000 and 200,000 pets are abandoned each year in France. Sixty percent of such occurrences happen over the summer as people leave behind animals that are too inconvenient to bring on trips. The trend has become so common that the French have earned the distinction of being Europe’s “champions” at abandoning pets.
The country saw an explosion of its kitten population this summer after sterilization programs were halted during the global health crisis. The number of stray and abandoned cats therefore soared, and the SPA reported taking in more than 8,000 during the summer months.
(Edited by Carlin Becker and Fern Siegel)
(Edited by Carlin Becker and Fern Siegel)
