Cat with only one working kidney finds furr-ever home

Players of People's Postcode Lottery help Cats Protection provide vital care for cats and kittens in need

A friendly young cat has found her purr-fect home after facing some health challenges that required extra medical attention from experts at Cats Protection.

Luna, previously named Monkey, was just six months old when she was taken into Cats Protection's North London Adoption Centre with eight other cats from a multi-cat household. She was then transferred to the charity's National Cat Adoption Centre in Sussex, where she could be looked after by the onsite vet clinic, as it was clear she needed some extra care.

Investigations by the vet team showed that her left kidney and uterus had not formed normally, meaning that she only has one functioning kidney. Blood tests also showed that Monkey had an increased white blood cell count, which indicates infection or inflammation.

She received antibiotics and a lot of TLC, leaving her in in reasonably good health, but it is possible that she could develop kidney disease in the future. This meant it was important to match her to an owner who was willing to take her on despite some uncertainty about her future health.

Happily, when Chris, Sam and their sons Max and Oliver spotted Luna on the centre's website it was love at first sight and they were not deterred by her medical history.

The family adopted their existing 17-year-old cat LouLou from the National Cat Adoption Centre nine years ago. Having sadly lost their other older cat, Bruno, earlier this year, they decided the time was right for a new feline addition to their household.

Chris, who lives in Tunbridge Well, Kent, said: "Despite learning of Luna's health conditions, we connected with her straight away, and knew that we would be able to give her the same love and attention we have given LouLou to date!"

The family knew that introductions between Luna and LouLou would need to be handled delicately, so for the first couple of weeks Luna was allocated her own space at the top of the house so she could start to feel safe in her new environment.

"We took it in turns to sleep up there with her at night so that we could keep an eye on her, and she could get used to us being around," explained Chris. "We then opened up the rest of the house to her over the next two weeks, so that she could meet LouLou and gradually start to explore her new home.

"Luna is a one off, that's for sure! She has an abundance of energy and curiosity, and she fears absolutely nothing - and no one. Now she is going out into the garden she is utterly mesmerised by anything that flies and buzzes!

"The relationship between Luna and LouLou is going well, too, and LouLou is starting to accept Luna. They both have the freedom of the whole house but are often seen settled (fairly!) near each other."

Karen Thompson, Deputy Manager at Cats Protection's National Cat Adoption Centre, said: "Luna was with us for quite a while due to her health issues, so it's just lovely to see her settled so happily into her new home. She is very affectionate and has the most amazing purr, which really stole the hearts of us all here at the centre.

"We're also so grateful for the ongoing support we receive from People's Postcode Lottery players, as it helps us to care for cats like Luna that really need it."

The unwavering support of players of People's Postcode Lottery is ensuring the well-being of cats like Luna at Cats Protection's centres. Since 2018, players have raised over £7.3 million for the charity, awarded through the Postcode Animal Trust. The trust champions the conservation and welfare of animals, highlighting the profound joy that animals bring to people's lives.

To date, players of People's Postcode Lottery have raised over £1.1 billion to support good causes across Britain.

Anyone in the Sussex area who would like to enquire about adopting a cat can visit www.cats.org.uk/ncac or call 01825 572 850 for more information.

For those elsewhere in the UK, information about adopting a cat can be found at: www.cats.org.uk/adopt-a-cat