Couple flees Portugal with abandoned cats
Raquel Drayson fled Portugal last September after being pursued by a psychopathic ex-boyfriend, who put her husband, Rob, in hospital after a vicious attack in their home in Portugal.
Raquel, who is Portuguese, has finally arranged for her 13 cats to be sent over to the UK and she and her husband are desperate to find somewhere to live around the Southampton area. Most of the cats were found abandoned in and around Lisbon, some suffering from malnutrition, fleas, or skin infections. One female was pregnant and gave birth to four kittens, but two of them died because the mother was so ill. Their ages range from 2 to 10 years. “All of the cats were in a terrible state when we rescued them”, said Raquel. “I am so pleased that they are here in the UK. The Portuguese do not show the love, care and respect for animals, as they do here.”
Rob and Raquel had to pay £4,500 to have the cats vaccinated and looked after by a neighbour for nine months before they were allowed to bring the cats over under The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), otherwise they would have had to stay six months in quarantine.
The couple had tried to re-home them in Portugal, but people returned them when the novelty of owning a cat wore off. “We had nursed the cats to good health and it broke our hearts giving any away in the first place, so we are not happy about re-homing them again”, said Raquel. “They have become so dependent on us, and we love them dearly. It would be totally unfair to put them through any trauma again, they have had a bad enough life already.”
However, most of the cats are currently at St Francis Animal Welfare in Fair Oak, as Rob and Raquel are currently living in a small apartment near the centre of Southampton where there is a lot of traffic.
“We need to find somewhere to rent with enough space for the cats”, said Rob, who had to have stitches around his eye after the attack. “We have tried all of the Estate Agents, but they haven’t been able to find us anywhere. Manageress Ann Hillman of St Francis Animal Welfare has been unbelievably helpful in looking after the cats, and allowing us to visit them until we find a place. If we can’t find somewhere, I don’t know what will happen to them.”
Rob and Raquel are appealing to anyone who may be able to help. They can be contacted on XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - (UPDATE Oct 2007 - Rob and Raquel have finally found somewhere suitable to rent, with plenty of space for them and their feline family. They both continue to support St Francis.)
(2006)
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