Eureka Veterinary Clinic’s Dr Rob Page helps Basil the shop cat settle back in at The Haymarket after his second run-in with a vehicle last week left him with a broken pelvis. PICTURE: ADAM TRAFFORD
He’s been hit by a car and survived – twice – but now Basil the “shop-cat” is back greeting customers at The Haymarket in Ballarat like nothing ever happened.
Basil suffered a broken pelvis after he was struck be a vehicle outside the Doveton Street store last Thursday.
Despite the serious injury, staff said the plucky feline wandered back inside the store on his own – albeit a little bit “wonky”.
He was taken to Eureka Veterinary Clinic where Dr Rob Page worked for more than an hour to join the bones back together.
“This is the second time I’ve had him in,” Dr Page said.
“He got hit by a car last year where he ruptured his diaphragm, that was pretty big operation.”
“Now he’s turned up again after being hit by a car.”
Dr Page said Basil was really testing the “nine lives” theory.
“He’s pretty lucky,” he said.
“Last year was a very major operation and this year we’ve had to put a screw into his pelvis to bring him back into alignment.”
Basil, well known around town as the “Haymarket cat”, was yesterday sporting several scars but was otherwise full of energy as he returned to his commercial premises of choice.
Haymarket manager Ian Taylor said the place wasn’t the same without Basil.
“It’s great to have him back,” he said.
“We’ve had lots of customers ask where he is – we’ve even had phone calls.”
Mr Taylor said Basil was just a stray kitten that wandered over to the Doveton Street store one day 10 years ago.
“He gradually got more and more confident and now he greets us at the door every morning,” he said.
“He’s just getting too confident out the front (near the road) – every time it’s a sunny day he’ll go and sunbake out there.”
For now at least, Basil is safe and well back inside “his” shop.
Staff at Haymarket hope he doesn’t use up anymore of his nine lives.
jordan.oliver@thecourier.com.au