As National Cat Day approaches this weekend (Sunday 29 October) Dogs Trust Manchester is celebrating coming to the rescue of a furry friend of the feline kind.
The six-month-old kitten was brought to the Denton-based rehoming centre by an elderly local animal lover who had spotted the tiny cat roaming for several days and often settling in his garden. After doing his best to find if the kitten belonged to anyone, the gentleman decided to take him to Dogs Trust Manchester to see if the team could help as he had previously visited with his wife who had since passed away.
Lisa Eardley, Manager at Dogs Trust Manchester, said: “The gentleman was really concerned. He had been keeping an eye on him and asking around, but nobody claimed him. As soon as I laid eyes on him, my heart melted.
“He wasn’t microchipped, so I decided that whilst we waited to see if anyone came forward, I’d look after him as he was really failing. He was ravenous and for the first fortnight I fed him every four hours to build him up. He had a full vet check and thankfully he came on in leaps and bounds.”
Lisa has two dogs and two cats, who were a little jealous of the newcomer at first, but they are settling into life with the former stray, called Theo.
Lisa said: “He is now quite a cheeky cat. He’ll take a slurp of my tea if I’m not looking and when it comes to the dogs, he definitely thinks he’s the boss!
“He loves to be cuddled and is really affectionate, which is lovely. He definitely didn’t have the best start in life but he’s now at the heart of a loving home, exactly where he should be.
“We were delighted that the gentleman knew he could trust us to do the right thing and we would urge anyone who has a cat, or dog, to get them microchipped so if they do get separated, they can be reunited.”
It is already compulsory to have dogs microchipped and all cats must be microchipped by 10 June 2024.
If you are looking for a four-legged friend of the doggy kind, go to www.dogstrust.org.uk to find out about all the dogs waiting for their forever homes.
