A tabby cat named Polly is recuperating at Rosevean Veterinary Centre in Penzance, Cornwall, UK after her ordeal, trapped for days under the front carriage of a First Great Western high speed express train as it made a series of trips between London, the West Country and South Wales.
Polly was discovered last Friday after train manager Emily Mahoney-Smith heard meowing when the train was stopped along the way to Cornwall. Ms. Mahoney-Smith and the train’s driver located the cat by her cries and pulled her out from the train when they reached a spot where they could mount the operation.
Ms. Mahoney-Smith fed the cat and made her comfortable in a box until she could get help. Polly had gone without food and water and had a seriously broken front leg. Despite her injury and the trauma of her ordeal, Polly purred and was friendly.
Ms. Mahoney-Smith put in a call to the RSPCA. The on-call vet thought Polly was a stray and, due to the extent of her injury, contemplated putting her down until a routine microchip scan showed that she had a home and family with retired train driver Arthur Westington and his wife Louisa.
Polly’s guardian’s authorized an amputation, and Polly had surgery to remove her broken and infected leg. she is expected to return home in a few days.
Polly slipped out of her house in Plymouth, Devon three weeks ago, and is thought to have gotten inside the sealed space within the train when its covering panels were removed for maintenance at the depot, located nearby.
Louisa Westington is quoted in reports, saying “Polly dashed out of the back door and we thought she’d gone for good. We missed her and were very surprised when the cattery rang to say she’d been found and was in Penzance. She’s lost her front paw and is now on antibiotics and resting but we can’t wait to have her back – she’s certainly seen more of the country than we have.”
Microchipping! IT RULES! so glad she was found and she looks like she is doing great with missing her leg…