VIDEO: Beloved cat, Ragna, now purrs in peace
This fur baby was well known and had touched the lives of many since she was just a kitten.
BLUFF’S beloved warrior cat, Ragna, is no more.
The blind feline that succumbed to renal failure rose to popularity in late 2015 when she was taken to the Second Chance Sanctuary and immediately sparked a love affair with its founder.
In a heartfelt tribute, her owner and founder of the sanctuary, Cherece du Plessis, Ragna’s timing was perfect as she came into her life after a deeply traumatic experience where she nearly lost her life.
“Helping her is what I needed in my life at that time,” she said. “When I saw the vet’s number come up on my phone on Sunday morning, 17 January, my heart sank because I knew what was coming. It was the end of the road.”
“I spent some time with her while she loved and spoke to me before I held her in my arms and let her go. The utter realisation and devastation of what had just happened hit me. My girl was never coming home – I would never feel her sitting on my hip again, I would never tell her to stop beating up the other cats, I would never see her again. I am shattered. She was more than one in a million – she was everything. And so her story ends – my precious girl – I love you, I always will. Until we meet again,” said a melancholy Cherece.
The loving owner said Ragna had many followers from all over the world and had touched the lives of many since she was just a kitten. She only weighed 200g on Christmas Eve in 2015 when she was brought into the shop where Cherece worked.
She needed at least 100g more before vets could give her the operation she desperately needed for her severe infection behind her eyes.
“The public either loved her, or ridiculed and judged me for trying to save a ‘hopeless’ case, saying that she would suffer terribly. Her eyes were prolapsed extremely badly and she was severely malnourished. I rushed her to the vet and all the vet said was no, recommending that I put her to sleep, I said to him that I will save this cat and I was adamant about that – this is one case I would not give up on. I immediately called her Ragna – the female version of Ragnar – which means Warrior Goddess – she needed the strongest name possible,” she said.
Her resilience proved fruitful as the kitten ate and reached her targeted weight in just three days. Although vets strongly discouraged the surgery, it was a success. When her eyelids had healed, she got a special photoshoot and her photos that made her famous. Her story was also posted in numerous articles worldwide.
“The support and outpouring of love and donations towards her care were overwhelming. But in the end, we could not fix her, her kidneys were just too broken. I thank her vets through the years, her fans who followed up with her stories through the years – thank you, the generous donors and people who tried to help – thank you from the bottom of my heart. Purr in peace dearest, you were loved by so many.”
Second Chance Sanctuary was started in 2008. The team rescues abused or abandoned cats and they are feline aids and leukemia positive shelter.
Their wishlist includes dry, wet, or frozen food and flea treatment and cleaning equipment. To donate to the sanctuary. Call Cherece on 084-646-1909 or visit www.secondchancecats.org.
