An RSPCA inspector is preparing to walk the Northumberland Coastal Path in memory of her cat who was so poorly when she was rescued that a vet gave her only six months to live.
Mishka weighed 0.9 kg (1.98 lb) – about the same as a bag of sugar – when she was discovered at a house in Hull in 2010 along with more than 60 other cats.
But despite the bleak outlook, the nine-year-old feline went on to defy the odds and live for another 14 years, before sadly passing away at the home of RSPCA Inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws in February this year at the remarkable age of 23.
Kirsty, 37, has now set herself the challenge of walking the 100 km (62.1 miles) route from Cresswell to Berwick-upon-Tweed in memory of Mishka, while raising funds so the RSPCA’s Newcastle and North Northumberland Branch* can support more animals like her.
The inspector first met Mishka when she was an animal care assistant at the RSPCA’s Felledge Animal Centre near Chester-le-Street where the 60 plus Siamese and Bengal-type cats were taken after they were rescued.
They were all struggling with a range of health problems as a result of neglect and required many months of care. Mishka was skeletal and had to be fed tiny portions of food, and even though she made good progress, she wasn’t expected to live more than six months.
Kirsty, who has been an inspector for ten years, said: “She was a little bit feisty at first and every time I walked past her in the cattery she’d look at me to try and get my attention – she picked me really!
“I remember how tiny she was, and how slowly we had to build her nutrition up, but she did exceptionally well and went on to live a full and happy life. She was the friendliest cat ever and would cuddle up on your lap for hours like a baby.
“I wanted to channel the heartbreak of losing her into something positive which is why I decided to take on this challenge, which I’m calling ‘Mishka’s March,’ in her memory and raise money to help other animals like her. I’ve been training for the last couple of months but nevertheless this is going to be a proper challenge for me.
“Anyone who has pets will know how much they enrich and impact our lives, and every now and then a really special one comes along. Mishka was one of those, a one in a million cat who clearly thought she had a lot more than six months of living to do and I miss her dearly.”
Kirsty, who lives in Northumberland and also has a 33 year-old horse and a 13-year-old Shih Tzu, will be joined on the walk by her friend Lucy Brennan, who is also an RSPCA Inspector in the south of England.
They set off on 22 June and are hoping to complete the route in four days.
The Newcastle and North Northumberland Branch of the RSPCA was established in 1987 and covers an area from Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to Berwick upon Tweed and the Scottish border. It is an independent charity which is affiliated to, and works closely with the RSPCA – with the national charity celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.
