An unwanted black cat who had been in rescue in the West Midlands for seven months without a single call or rehoming enquiry was inundated with offers from potential adopters – including one from America – after the RSPCA put out a special appeal.
Zara was the longest-staying feline at the charity’s Stafford, Wolverhampton and District branch but despite her ‘perfect personality’, volunteers believed her colour was putting people off – with black, or black and white cats, often taking far longer to rehome.
The three year-old cat had initially come into rescue after being picked up by an RSPCA inspector in January. The poor puss was found alone in freezing temperatures in Aston. Alongside her were her two 24-hour old kittens, one of whom had sadly died.
Once fully recovered her surviving kitten was rehomed quickly, but volunteers were left baffled as to why no-one was interested in Zara. A rehoming appeal at the beginning of this month quickly took off, with offers of homes coming in from all over the UK and even one application from America.
Carl and Clare Jones, from Tipton, turned out to be the perfect match for Zara and she has now settled in well in their West Midlands home.
Clare said: “Zara is enjoying her new life with us and has definitely got her paws under the table. There isn’t a day that goes past when she doesn’t show us something new about her personality. Her confidence is growing and she’s so funny and loves being the centre of attention – which she certainly gets! She has such a loveable and affectionate personality and adores playing and being around both our children – she really is the perfect cat and we’re so glad she’s settled in so nicely with us.”
Tracey Rogers, rehoming officer for the RSPCA’s Stafford, Wolverhampton and District branch said: “We had an overwhelming response following our appeal about Zara, our lovely long-stay mini house panther and we are so grateful to everyone who responded. There was nationwide interest in her, with one couple coming forward from the USA!
“Zara didn’t really fancy travelling that far though and we’re over the moon that she’s settled in only a few miles up the road with her wonderful new family, Carl and Clare and their two children. Through the large number of enquiries we had about Zara we also found homes for a couple of our other cats who had been waiting, very patiently, for their new families too, which was fabulous.
“As always, as soon as one cat leaves for their new home the space is quickly filled with another who is just as deserving, so we still have lots of felines looking for their happy ending and we’d encourage anyone who is considering taking on a rescue animal to have a look at our website.”
Three year-old Gabriella is one of the many cats still waiting. She came into the branch’s care in May after being taken to a vet as an injured stray before giving birth to a litter of four kittens the following morning.
Unfortunately she had a nasty injury to her eye which had left her with no sight in it. Once her kittens were independent, the eye was removed and she has since recovered well and been neutered. Described as a very affectionate, friendly cat who loves people and attention, her fosterer says Gabriella’s favourite pastime is watching YouTube videos of birds, which she tries to pounce on and catch.
As she only has sight in one eye Gabriella is looking for an adult only home with a garden in a quiet area.
