WHEN Bonnie disappeared leaving Clyde behind the fire brigade was called out to rescue the missing moggie. The two cats had been taken in by staff and residents of Moor Lodge Care Home at Two Bridges ? but Bonnie did a runner. ?We searched and searched and finally gave up,? said the home?s proprietor Corrine Barker. ?Then one of the members of staff was doing a bit of house freezing in one of our three service rooms and heard a pathetic mewing from behind a stone wall.? With the alarm raised another member of staff began drilling but the cat?s cries were rapidly growing fainter. The cats ? a brother and sister ? had arrived a month ago and Bonnie had been missing for most of that time. Corrine said Bonnie had somehow got into the loft area, became weaker and fell between the cavity wall. ?I rang the fire brigade who came out from Princetown within five minutes. They were brilliant. they deserve a big pat on the back!? said Corrine. ?They could see her 10ft down and fixed poles together. Gently they prodded her towards a hole they had drilled in the wall at ground level. Then we persuaded her to come out. ?I told the fire brigade I felt guilty ringing them. But they could see we had tried to help ourselves and said that was not a problem.? Moor Lodge has six staff who care for seven residents with learning disabilities. ?Pets are a part of our therapy. We already have dogs and cats but we took these two in because their owner was emigrating and they didn?t have anywhere else to go,? said Corrine. ?The residents were all very distressed when Bonnie went missing. They were delighted when the fire brigade crew arrived and were making them cups of tea.? She said when they got the cat out last Tuesday Bonnie had lost one third of her body weight. ?Thanks to the fire brigade Bonnie is alive and seeking lots of cuddles. She is getting plenty of tender loving care.? Bonnie (right) and Clyde are pictured above with Stephen Baldrey, of the Moor Lodge Care Home. Picture by James Bird
