Penny removed from cat

Vets at The Blue Cross animal hospital in Merton have removed a one-penny coin from the stomach of an eleven-month-old kitten.

Chelsea's owner brought her to the hospital when she realised the kitten was not eating, and seemed very unwell. An x-ray showed conclusive proof that there was a foreign body in Chelsea's stomach with the coin glowing brightly on the slides. Chelsea would not have been able to pass the coin on her own as it was too big. The surgery to remove the coin was performed by Blue Cross vet Harriet Thomas, with vet nurse Katherine Massyn overseeing the anaesthetic. Chelsea has recovered well, and has just received her final check-up which gave her a clean bill of health.

Chief veterinary surgeon at the Merton hospital, Caroline Reay, said: "Animals will eat all sort of unexpected things, and sometimes foreign bodies can cause real problems. Luckily, Chelsea's owner did the right thing when she realised the kitten wasn't eating and brought her straight to the hospital. The x-rays show the coin very clearly, and we removed it safely."

Mrs Alger - Chelsea's owner - said: "Chelsea has recovered really well and is running around again, playing with the kids. We were really worried about her, but the vets at the hospital saved her life."

The Blue Cross animal hospital in Merton was re-opened by HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1999. It undertakes around 12,000 veterinary consultations each year and provides veterinary treatment for the pets of people on a means tested state benefit, a state pension, or a provable low income.