An Update on Bonjeck - Stray Who Arrived in Shocking Condition

We recently launched a fundraising appeal for a severely unwell stray cat named Bonjeck, and are happy to report that his condition has improved considerably under the loving care of our veterinary and volunteer teams, and thanks to your generous donations towards his upkeep and treatment. We are now tentatively hopeful about his future.

Bonjeck was brought to our North London Cat Clinic very underweight, with the lower half of his body encrusted in feces, and serious cat flu symptoms. The approximately six-year-old cat had been suffering from chronic diarrhoea, the cause of which was unknown, leading to his worrying weight loss.

Bonjeck’s condition was also undoubtedly exacerbated by his having to survive as a stray cat, particularly an unneutered male, as they are prone to fighting with other, entire Toms, leading to the transmission of viruses like FIV. Unsurprisingly, he was also found to be FIV positive, which has complicated his recovery further.

Bonjeck arrived in shocking condition.

However, thanks to a swift response to our fundraising appeal from you, our ever-selfless supporters, we were able to cover the full cost of investigative treatments into the cause of Bonjeck’s diarrhoea, in addition to treating his symptoms and making him far more comfortable and content in one of our heated suites at Catcuddles HQ.

Bonjeck's cat flu symptoms, such as sneezing and nasal discharge, have begun to abate as a result of antibiotics. The lower half of his body, which was once filthy and matted, has also been shaved to keep him comfortable and clean - though he does look a little silly!

Tests have revealed inflammation of Bonjeck’s digestive tract, so he is currently on regular medication designed to harden his stools, which has reduced the severity of his diarrhoea somewhat, and stabilised his once quickly declining weight. Daily injections of B12, and a diet of specialised gastrointestinal food, designed to be gentle on the stomach, have also contributed to this improvement.

Some inflammation remains however, and it is slow to resolve itself completely. This may be in part to Bonjeck's FIV, which can weaken a cat's immune system over time, slowing their recovery from a serious illness. This is particularly true for former stray cats like Bonjeck, who have suffered poor living conditions for months or years on end. At present, this inflammation has not been linked to a serious cause, like a tumour, and we are cautiously hopeful that an ultrasound in March - funded by your donations - will not reveal anything that will require surgical intervention, or worse, that has few treatment options.

In addition to his physical recovery, Bonjeck is also healng from the trauma of living as a stray, with little human contact, for an untold amount of time, and is slowly learning to trust people again. Our volunteers have tentatively begun to initiate interactions with him, and we’re hopeful that with enough love and kindness, he will be a changed cat, both physically and mentally.

Although a full recovery is not yet certain and Bonjeck will likely require many more months of rehabilitation, so far, his progress has been steady and positive. We’re confident that he is feeling far happier than when he arrived - as a filthy, terrified and malnourished cat. No matter what the future holds for him, Catcuddles will always be there.

The pandemic has been a difficult time for rescue centres across the board. The support of our amazing community has been vital during this period, allowing us to continue taking in cats like Bonjeck in spite of our severely reduced revenue streams, and the challenges of launching our low-cost cat clinic during lockdown conditions. The unwanted, abandoned and unloved continue to need our help more than ever, so please watch this space in the coming months to continue helping us to save lives, and thank you for all you for all the lives you have empowered us to save so far.

Published by Rae. Find out more about the Catcuddles Team >