Happy ending for Babi and his owners

CARRYING their beloved sick cat several kilometres in the bitter cold from their rural home to a vet in town, held more rewards for the two children than they had realised.

Not only was the now famous Babi saved by vodka, but the children received an award for their heroic deed.

Jabu Maphisa, 7, and his sister Reitumetse Maphisa, 14, did not think twice when they noticed their ginger cat’s strange behaviour last month.

They scooped him up and walked with him in their arms for about 2km in the cold to get him to NPO Cluny Animal Trust’s clinic in Fouriesburg in the Free State.

Babi’s symptoms had first had the veterinarians scratching their heads, but it turned out that the cat was suffering from anti-freeze poisoning.

Anti-freeze poisoning is treated with intravenous ethanol, something the vets did not have, but quick thinking saved the day, and they rushed to the local bottle store to buy the finest vodka available.

A few doses were all Babi needed to save his life, and after a few days he was fighting fit again in the arms of his loving family.

After the story of Babi went viral, three Cluny Farm supporters, one of them from Canada, offered a reward to the children for their efforts.

Imogen Tarita, a fund-raiser for the trust, said they got R3 400 to spend, and someone donated a new cat carrier for Babi. This will make it easier to carry Bibi to the clinic for his annual vaccinations.

The Cluny Farm team fetched the children and treated them to a day out, to make them feel like the true celebrities that they are.

Tarita said the children lived in tough conditions, and the trust wanted to reward them, but being a veterinary welfare, they could not afford to.

They, however, did hand over a voucher from the trust that will provide them with food for Babi on a monthly basis for a year.

The Cluny Farm team went shopping, as it was clear that the children needed new shoes, and a warm coat each, as temperatures dropped to -16° early that particular morning.

A quick game of football on the square in Clarens preceded a hearty lunch at the Clarens Brewery, which had decorated a special table with balloons. The restaurant also refused to accept payment for the lunch.

This was followed by a drivethrough at the Golden Gate Park, and more clothes shopping.

When they went back to school on Monday, the Cluny Farm team also made sure to pick up some new stationery for them. With the remainder of the money, the family received a huge bag of groceries.

“We know that they will be sharing their experience with all their friends and family, and of course, we know that Babi will hear the entire story...

“Education and responsible pet ownership are so important in our country,” Tarita said.

The Cluny Farm team plan to write the story of Babi, Jabu and Reitumetse, and get it translated into Sotho.

“We’ll then make flyers that we will drop in as many homes as we can. Our aim is to highlight that if you look after and love your pet, good things can happen.”