Vivienne Cheffy AKA �the cat lady of Phi Phi� recently returned for her 3rd visit to the island since the Tsunami, and was dismayed to discover how many new kittens there were on the island. She�d heard through friends about PAWS mobile clinic in Phuket, and asked if they would be able to help her on her next trip to Phi Phi island.
As part of their ongoing efforts to help stray animals wherever they may be, PAWS was more than happy to help and sure enough the two senior vets, Drs. Oui and Ning arrived with cages, boxes of sterile operating instruments, masks and gowns, one cat catcher, Khun Lang and a technician, Khun Nuan. The team quickly setup a field clinic in none other than the local hospital, much to amazement of various patients!
Inside the hospital, one side of the corridor was occupied by the vets sterilising anything on four legs, while patients on two walked rapidly by, the men in sheer fright; not wanting to part with anything they had walked in with! An amazing array of conveyances carried the animals into the hospital, perhaps the most interesting being a closed
cardboard box with �kettle� stamped on the side, - perhaps it was the name of the cat?
In one and a half days, the PAWS team sterilised over 50 animals, more than 40 of which were cats; thereby saving, at the rate of 2 litters a year, an explosion of anything between 100 and 500 cute little cats, - well, cute when they are kittens and not creating a nuisance to residents and tourists alike. Ever woken up with a hangover to the sound of cats wailing in the early hours!? The PAWS team was very ably assisted by one Thai vet from Krabi Livestock Department and half a dozen veterinary students from local colleges.
A big thank you to them and to Dr. Sunate in Phuket for his unfailing support and advice on the project. PAWS will be back in Phi Phi in another couple of months; maybe at the hospital, - why not look in on them, but do take care of your possessions!
If there are stray animals in your area, please email and let us know where you are � we�re here to help! Email us at: paws@phuket-animal-welfare.com or got to www.phuket-animal-welfare.com/
