Where's Waldo? In his new home...

Last week 16 year old Waldo was facing euthanasia after his owner surrendered him at a Greenwich vet surgery. After CatCuddles stepped into prevent this happening, this week his future is looking far, far brighter; he has just been adopted into a loving new home!

Results like these are the very reason that CatCuddles exists. A life has been saved and a family have gained a wonderful new addition who will no doubt enrich their lives, as all cats who are appreciated do. We'll be checking in on Waldo in the coming weeks to make sure that all goes smoothly with his transition to his new home but we expect that he will be very happy. You can read his story below.

We were contacted by one of our collaborating vets in Greenwich about Waldo, a 16-year old Burmese boy who had been surrendered at their surgery for euthanasia. Waldo’s owners felt unable to care for him any longer.

Waldo has renal disease, extremely common in older cats, but is otherwise healthy. His condition can be managed with a specialised diet, meaning he is capable of living comfortably and happily for many more years.

With this in mind, our collaborating vet was reluctant to proceed with euthanasia. He asked that CatCuddles be contacted for help instead, and thankfully, Waldo’s owner agreed. Of course we said yes - treating the case as an emergency, we were able to bring Waldo into our care within a matter of days, and his life was effectively saved.

He is an incredibly placid, gentle, friendly cat, with the beautiful chocolate and black colouring that is typical of his breed - these pictures don't do him justice. He is a little bit delicate at the moment, so we’re concentrating on feeding him up and building his strength. Like all cats, he deserves the chance to live a full life, comfortable, happy and loved, and this is exactly what we intend to give him in a permanent adoptive home. He will know nothing else for the rest of his days.

It’s very common for veterinary surgeries to have cats surrendered to them, or even dumped on their premises. This can put veterinary staff in a very difficult position, as clinics are not equipped to house animals in the long-term and often do not have the time or resources to find them new homes.

Though some vets will go above and beyond to avoid euthanasia, options are limited when there are too few rescue places available. This is particularly true in Greenwich, where the demand for rehoming far, far exceeds the services available.