Sky is officially Sarah’s pet now. (Sarah is a Nursing assistant at Hollyoak Vets, as well as one of Paula’s daughters.) One day a severely injured cat was brought into the surgery when Paula was on duty (at another vet surgery – not Hollyoak). She immediately administered pain relief and made the cat comfortable. Those who brought it in said it had been run over by a car. X-rays showed it had a severely damaged pelvis – broken in two places with one side shunted forward. It was a real mess. The cat wasn’t microchipped, so there was no way to contact the owner, or even know if there was an owner.

The damage was so severe, that most vets would have recommended euthanasia as the best alternative. But, Paula and the rest of the staff had fallen in love with this pretty little cat with the nice nature and decided to give her a chance. Sky was stitched up, though no attempt was made to repair the fractured pelvis. She was able to move her back legs, and able to relieve herself. It was the first positive sign. Further X-rays suggested a plan. ‘We will try a conservative approach.’ No surgery, but a long period of cage rest. With a little luck, her body would form a callous around the pelvis which would hold it in place, allowing her to walk – perhaps a bit wobbly, but at least she would be able to get around.

After six weeks of cage rest in Sarah’s room, the gamble paid off. Sky was able to walk, jump and run. "She looks a bit wonky from the rear, but it doesn’t bother her one bit" , says Paula. In fact, Sky is quite the athlete, and an extraordinary hunter despite having a pelvis that is completely out of line. It was an amazing recovery.

But, it became evident that Sky was extremely shy. She refused to venture out of the room when her cage rest days came to an end. So, Sky took up residence under Sarah’s bed.

Paula had some experience with this kind of behaviour. Years ago, she had another cat who lived under her bed for 6 months, coming out only for a fuss at bedtime. It was almost a full year before it was able to mix normally with other cats.

Paula says: “If you are ever in a position like this, please don’t expect big changes in 1 or 2 weeks. Spend a little time making a fuss, coaxing gently, but don’t force things. Use food to build trust.”

And, so it was with Sky. It took nearly a eight months to re-socialise her.