The National Animal Trust
Registered Charity No 243707
Founded in 1965
A companion in a home
not just a pet in a house
All of these cats and kittens have been rehomed.
Please note that you may find some of the pictures a little upsetting.
Jack the Ripper
Jack was a lovely long-haired black and white male, approximately two to three years old. He was a stray that turned up on someone’s doorstep with a terrible injury to one of his ears. He was immediately taken to the vet and the ear was operated on but it was too badly damaged and couldn’t be saved. We don't know what had caused the injury but his ear was completely ripped to shreds - hence the name! After many weeks of further treatment, including numerous trips to the vet, and plenty of TLC at our foster home, the remains of his ear eventually healed. The fact that he only had one ear didn't bother him at all. He looked a bit lopsided but he didn't care and neither did we or the family that adopted him.
As you can imagine, Jack was not a happy cat when he first came in. This was mainly due to the fact that he had to wear a bucket collar for many weeks so he couldn't get at his ear. He was very affectionate and loved nothing better than sitting on our fosterers knee for a fuss, almost asking for his head to be scratched. Once the collar came off he was much happier and he turned into a very playful cat.
Jack when he first came into care - not a happy cat.
A much happier Jack with his ear now healed.
Gismo
Gismo was a young male Persian cat who came into our care after being found wandering the street in a terrible condition. He was extremely wary of people so goodness knows what he had gone through during his young life. His fur was so matted it was pulling away from his skin (a condition that is very painful), he was full of fleas and worms, underweight, and his eyes were swollen and weeping. After staying at the vet for the first couple of days having treatment for his eyes, fleas and worms, a bath and haircut (there was no way we were going to be able to comb out his matted fur) and a complete health check, he spent many weeks at one of our foster homes. Slowly but surely Gismo gained weight and with a lot of TLC he started to look a bit like a Persian again. He also started to gain his confidence and eventually turned into a very laid back, playful and affectionate cat. He was rehomed with a lovely lady who was used to looking after Persians and she carried on with his convalescence. She sent us a photo a few months later and as you can see, he was obviously now a very happy and relaxed cat.
Gismo, a couple of days after first coming into care – he had just had a bath and haircut at the vets.
It took many months of TLC for Gismo to regain his condition and confidence but we think you will agree, it was worth the wait.
Tom. Jerry, Pixie and Suzie
These four kittens (one's hiding under the others) had been living in a house in terrible conditions and were the only survivors out of a total of 13 kittens. The vet didn’t think they would survive as they were severely dehydrated from cat flu and also had Chlamydia. Although they were about six weeks of age and normally should have been old enough to eat some solids, they were too poorly to eat for themselves so they had to be bottle fed every few hours day and night.
It was a long struggle and it took many weeks of treatment and intensive care from our fosterer but they beat the odds and grew into this playful and affectionate bunch. Our fosterer knew they were feeling better when she heard them racing round like a herd of elephants and went into their room to find two of them swinging from the curtains and the other two hanging by their claw tips from the table!
The day after they came into our care. At only six weeks old they were dehydrated and we really didn’t think they would survive.
Eight weeks later and looking much happier.
Gertie
Gertie had been taken into a vet’s surgery as a stray. She was very elderly (estimated at about 18 years), skin and bones, had sores on her body and she couldn’t walk properly. After a week nobody had claimed her and because of her condition she was under threat of being put to sleep. We found out about her and felt that she deserved a second chance so took her into care. After many tests at our vets it was found she had, amongst other things, an overactive thyroid, high blood pressure, kidney problems and was deaf. With medication, good food and a lot of TLC from our fosterer, she started to gain weight and grew in strength. We knew Gertie probably didn’t have long to live and in the end we had her for six months. Although still frail, during this time she was very happy and loved stretching out on the settee and pottering round the garden at the foster home where she lived out the rest of her life. During this time she was seen by the vet regularly to ensure she wasn't suffering.
Who knows what her life had been like or how she had ended up on the streets, but we were so pleased that at the end of her life we had been able to give her love, care and a normal home life with all of its comforts. Things that had obviously been in short supply for goodness knows how long.
Gertie when she first came into us. Her condition was one of the worst we had seen but despite how ill she was at this point she was very affectionate and loved a fuss.
Gertie after several months with our fosterer. Happy and loving her home life.
