Honey the cat forced to quit veterinary clinic duties
Honey, the cuddly cat who loves to comfort patients at a veterinary clinic in southern Sweden, has been forced to quit her daily duties after a court ruled her presence increased the contagion risk. "A normal day at the clinic for Honey starts with her being fed, then she participates in the cleaning – she loves to play with the vacuum cleaner – and then the patients start dropping in and so she heads over to the waiting room to check out the situation," Lucie Havelka, one of the veterinarians at the clinic, told radio station P4 Kristianstad.
Stopp för katten Honey på kliniken https://t.co/iOBNpuT8Y3pic.twitter.com/KSDDrO8lrX
— P4 Malmöhus (@p4malmohus) 26 februari 2018
Honey was taken in by the clinic in Höör four years ago after she was found malnourished and abandoned. She quickly found herself a role as the clinic's feline nurse.
"If the patients are nervous, Honey will sit herself down near them and purr. She's really great at reading situations and whether she needs to stay near them or whether she needs to come right up to them and cuddle with them," Havelka said, with Honey purring loudly in the background.
But her presence hasn't pleased everyone, and the clinic was reported to authorities. The matter then landed at the administrative court of appeal which ruled, in a non-unanimous decision, that her presence increases the risk for contagion between the clinic's furry patients.
"In short she's not allowed to be here. So we have to find another solution," Havelka said.
Honey's feline colleague, 19-year-old Oscar, is also covered by the ruling.
On Sunday, the clinic launched a petition to protest the ruling. "A thousand people have already signed it and it's very clear how they feel about it: That this is ridiculous and unfair and that Honey's presence is of great value."
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"A normal day at the clinic for Honey starts with her being fed, then she participates in the cleaning – she loves to play with the vacuum cleaner – and then the patients start dropping in and so she heads over to the waiting room to check out the situation," Lucie Havelka, one of the veterinarians at the clinic, told radio station P4 Kristianstad.
Stopp för katten Honey på kliniken https://t.co/iOBNpuT8Y3pic.twitter.com/KSDDrO8lrX
— P4 Malmöhus (@p4malmohus) 26 februari 2018
Honey was taken in by the clinic in Höör four years ago after she was found malnourished and abandoned. She quickly found herself a role as the clinic's feline nurse.
"If the patients are nervous, Honey will sit herself down near them and purr. She's really great at reading situations and whether she needs to stay near them or whether she needs to come right up to them and cuddle with them," Havelka said, with Honey purring loudly in the background.
But her presence hasn't pleased everyone, and the clinic was reported to authorities. The matter then landed at the administrative court of appeal which ruled, in a non-unanimous decision, that her presence increases the risk for contagion between the clinic's furry patients.
"In short she's not allowed to be here. So we have to find another solution," Havelka said.
Honey's feline colleague, 19-year-old Oscar, is also covered by the ruling.
On Sunday, the clinic launched a petition to protest the ruling. "A thousand people have already signed it and it's very clear how they feel about it: That this is ridiculous and unfair and that Honey's presence is of great value."
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