A WINNERSH resident has returned to the borough after an 18-month stint abroad – and she did not come home empty handed.
Karen Lewin has spent the last year-and-a-half working in the British Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia, where she found a furry friend in need of some medical attention.
The civil servant met a stray kitty called Stella shortly after moving away, and said she quickly fell head over heels for her.
Last week, after a long and arduous journey, she was reunited with her beloved pet on home soil.
“When I arrived in Mogadishu, Stella used to wander around the Embassy where she was being fed and cared for by some of the workers,” Ms Lewin said.
“Then she fell pregnant and had kittens, and people stopped feeding her.
“A colleague and I questioned what to do, so we agreed to take her into our care.”
Ms Lewin said Stella quickly became her shadow, following her around Mogadishu as she worked.
“She is a very affectionate cat and loves attention, so she would often come and find me in my pod,” the owner explained.
“She also loved to come to meetings, follow me to the bar and to dinner, as well as laundry too.”
Ms Lewin said it quickly became clear the cat was in need of some affection.
“The British ambassador was also quite fond of her,” she added.
As 2021 rolled around, the Winnersh resident said her work in Somalia was due to come to an end. When she began thinking about moving back to the UK, she could not bear the thought of leaving Stella behind.
“I always knew it was a risk when I started looking after her that I would fall in love,” Ms Lewin explained.
“She’s quite dependent on me and a very needy cat, so I would have felt so guilty leaving her.”
She said Stella also suffers from a medical condition which was very recently diagnosed, and can only be treated in the UK.
“Stella has an allergy which gives her lesions and a rash on her tummy,” she explained.
“She was only able to get a diagnosis when I sought help from a vet in the UK and sent them pictures of her condition.
“She isn’t suffering from anything too terrible, but her problems wouldn’t have improved if she stayed in Mogadishu.”
Ms Lewin was also worried that once she upped sticks, nobody would be willing to care for her precious pet.
However, the process of bringing Stella home was not a walk in the park.
“It was quite stressful getting her out of Somalia,” Ms Lewin said. “There aren’t many cats exported from the country, so there were no clear steps to follow.
“She’s actually become quite famous in Somalia because I’ve had to contact so many people to get her home.
“Thankfully it all worked out, but I was worried she wouldn’t make it here.”
Now, the owner said Stella is adjusting to life in the borough surprisingly well.
“She only arrived in the UK on Monday, February 22, after spending three nights in a kennel in Kenya,” Ms Lewin said. “But she’s settling in really well.”
Stella is currently housebound, but Ms Lewin said she has kept herself busy by sleeping and breaking into her treat supply.
“In Mogadishu, she would spend most of her time outdoors in the lovely weather, so I hope that once she can go out and explore it will occupy her a bit,” the Winnersh resident added.
“She’s a bit mischievous, but she has been through a bit of an ordeal.”
