At his workplace, a tree surgeon discovered a homeless cat owner who had been living in a hedge for three years.
The woman had to set up in this unusual place since no landlord would accept her kitten, and the lady didn’t want to abandon her pet.
She was discovered lying on a tarp with a draft shield, an old sleeping bag, blankets, pillows, and several bags and boxes surrounding her.
She tried staying in a few different accommodations, but it seemed her cat was not allowed in any of them, so she decided to set up a house behind a hedge in Chester, England.
Tree surgeon Gareth Olsen came upon her while cleaning a field for a private landlord customer. This field had been abandoned for years.
As one of Gareth’s workmates was driving a tractor through the land, he heard unexpected words from a nearby hedgerow. Someone hiding behind the hedge waved a hand, uttering:
“I live here.”
Gareth and his colleagues went to see the person residing on the field. They discovered a woman in a dire state. The tree specialist told The Sun:
“I was both surprised and disturbed by the circumstances of her condition.”
When asked how long she had been in the neighborhood, the fifty-something woman stated that she had been there for at least two years and probably three years.
The tree surgeon and his team couldn’t believe it. They were concerned about her health, but the woman didn’t share the same apprehension.
She responded that the only thing she truly needed was a new sleeping bag because the one she was using was long past its prime. However, Gareth believed she was having a hard time.
The team enquired about her previous accommodation and how she ended up in this deserted field in the first place. The homeless woman explained that it was all for her cat.
In fact, she has had a puss for a few years, and she considers the animal her soulmate. However, every accommodation she found wouldn’t welcome the pet.
Since she wouldn’t ever leave her critter, she found a makeshift solution. But now, the woman was afraid of losing what she had called her home for three years.
” She was awfully nervous, too, thinking we were going to kick her off the site,” Gareth said
The homeless cat owner finds a refuge
He reassured her, explaining he didn’t intend to leave her in these terrible conditions. However, before her departure, the homeless lady insisted that she would clean the hedgerow area.
At the end of his work day, the tree surgeon had to return home.
Back home, he couldn’t stop thinking about the heartbreaking scene he had witnessed earlier. He was unable to fall asleep due to his concerns over the woman’s well-being. He admitted:
“I consider myself quite hardy, but I could not do what she has been doing.”
Gareth wanted to help her find a better place to live, yet he wasn’t sure how. So, he gave her some spare change and pointed her toward the nonprofit group Share.
In the end, everything turned out the way well. After getting assistance from Share, the formerly homeless lady is doing much better. Naturally, Gareth is pleased with the happy ending.
“I’m glad that it all came good in the end, and she is now getting support.” the tree worker concluded