Case Study: The Atkins Family and Cody
Mr Atkins called OSF in distress as the family’s beloved cat, Cody, had been hit by a car and suffered an injury to his eye. Having taken Cody to the vet, the Atkins family were told that Cody’s eye needed to be removed at a cost of around £500. As it was, the family were struggling to make ends meet: Mrs Atkins had only just returned to work in her role with the NHS after suffering with Long Covid, and Mr Atkins’ salary put them just above the threshold for claiming benefits. There was no way they could afford this essential treatment, even with a payment plan, while the RSPCA and Cats Protection had not responded to the family’s request for help. They were facing the very real possibility of having their otherwise healthy and cherished cat put to sleep.
Luckily, Cody’s vet knew about Our Special Friends, and gave the Atkins family our details. We agreed to finance the operation, and later on the very same day Mr Atkins called, Cody was successfully operated on. When we were in touch a few days later, Cody was recovering well at home and seeming much happier (right). In the meantime, the RSPCA West Suffolk had pledged £100 towards the operation, reducing the amount OSF had to pay – however, the RSPCA’s support alone would have been both too little and likely too late to have saved this cat’s life.
It took a while for Cody to get used to only having one eye, but Mrs Atkins reported back “Cody is back to his happy self … he’s such a wonderful character and it seems to have added to his personality! We cannot thank you enough for helping us in our hour of need, it’s greatly appreciated, thank you.” Cody now enjoys a bit more fuss than previously… and amazingly can still hunt, bringing mice back as ‘gifts’!
