Cat nearly croaks after ‘poaching’ salmon from the cooker

22 December 2016

Clive’s owner, Imogen Craven-Mallett (21) from Glasgow, was horrified when she found he’d pulled out the remains of their salmon dinner - which he was polishing off on the kitchen floor as she walked in.

“I couldn’t believe it when I found him eating the salmon because it had been cooked in garlic and onions and I know they are poisonous to cats.”

Imogen immediately rang her local PDSA Pet Hospital, and vets advised her to bring Clive straight in for examination. He was kept in overnight for close monitoring and given treatment to help reduce absorption of the potentially-deadly toxins.

PDSA vet, Emily Ronald, said: “Sadly, we see plenty of poisoning cases, especially at Christmas, but we’ve never seen a case like this before. It’s very unusual for a cat to be able to open an oven! Clive is a real character and incredibly lucky. The garlic and onion could have been fatal but, thanks to his owner’s quick reaction and our treatment, he’s recovered and all his tests came back clear.”

Emily added: “With the festive season here, many of us will have lots of sweet treats and chocolates in the house. But while Christmas is a time for indulgence, it’s important to remember that some foods can be very harmful to our pets. Foods including chocolate, onions, raisins, some nuts, sage-and-onion stuffing, mince pies and Christmas cake can all be harmful and should be kept out of paws’ reach.

“Instead of treating pets to extra food, and to distract them from potentially harmful foods, encourage playtime for cats with suitable toys or take your dog for extra walks.”

A very relieved Imogen wants to share Clive’s story to support PDSA’s ‘Save a Star’ campaign which is raising funds to support the emergency vet care the charity provides. This Christmas, PDSA will treat more than 50,000 sick and injured pets, many in need of emergency, life-saving surgery.

She added: “I hope that Clive’s story helps raise awareness of life-saving work PDSA do – I’m incredibly grateful for all they have done. I certainly couldn't afford to pay for the treatment he needed and I would have been heartbroken if something had happened to him. If I didn't have PDSA I don't think Clive would be here now.”

For more information or to make a donation to PDSA visit www.saveastar.co.uk