Using up one of nine lives: Phoenix survives near-certain death by caracal
It was around 7:30 pm on Saturday, December 23 when Alice heard cats lighting on the doorstep of her house on Heilbron Farm in Piesang Valley Road, the property being bordered by indigenous forest.
“I went immediately to go look and to my shock and horror, saw that it was my eight-month-old kitten. Phoenix, being mauled by a caracal!”
Her first reaction was to shout as loud as she could and to her great relief, the caracal dropped Phoenix and left him on the veranda before charging off into the dusk.
“But it looked like a scene from Dexter” – I really thought he would die in my arms right then and there,” Alice says.
Fortunately, Plettenberg Bay Veterinary Clinic is located down the road and immediately after receiving Alice’s call, Dr Jannie Nau-de met her at his practice. The outlook was not good at all: a possible broken neck and spinal injury.
“His neck was limp and he couldn’t move his body, Jannie sedated him and gave him morphine and told me to go home. He said we can talk if Phoenix makes it through the night.”
So in Alice went the next morning, prepared for final goodbyes, all tears, her kids Roxy and Ryder in tow.
“But when I spoke with Dr Tania Vermeulen, she said we should give him time. After two days he had lifted his head and drank some water!” But the biggest worry now was the fact that Alice was due to depart for Bali on Christmas day.
“Since there was no one to help care for my very broken kitten, Jannie offered for him to stay at the practice for two weeks, during which time friend Reta Smit visited him almost daily, and mom Carol Evans – “even though she is allergic to cats!” – took the kids to visit Phoenix as often as possible.
“On my return, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I fetched him. Phoenix was walking, running and jumping, and had even put on some weight! Huge thanks are due to Jannie and his entire team. Getting him out of his kennel and onto the lawn must have been the highlight of his day,” Alice smiles.
She also thanks, everyone, including the vet staff, for keeping her updated via WhatsApp while she was so far away from home.
Phoenix is now happily-back home, but Alice can still hardly believe what a fighter he had turned out to be. “We are so proud of him for surviving a caracal attack! Jannie said it would be a miracle if he survived – and there we have it, fully recovered!”
Finally, Alice believes if it weren’t for the fact that Phoenix was adopted from PAWS, the outcome would have been very different.
“I advise all your readers to think of those abandoned and rescued animals when looking for pets.
They are as tough as nails and deserve loving homes.”
The often gruesome TV series about Dexter Morgan, by day a forensics expert for the Miami police department, by night a serial killer with a thirst for the blood of other killers…
Henk Nieuwoudt of CapeNature on caracal
ROOIKAT or caracal is a typical cat, and thus they prey on a variety of other animals. Grown males can catch bigger buck, like grey or young bushbuck.
In our vicinity, it’s not unusual to see a group of four rooikat together. Not too long ago we saw three youngsters on Robberg, hunting dassies together.
All cats are competitive and will regard young house cats as prey, if the opportunity arises, in the same way, that leopard, for example, prey on rooikat in nature. The only way to protect your pets is by adopting eating habits that prevent them from roaming around outside at night, when nocturnal caracal are on the prowl.
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