Neglected cat forced to live off dried pasta is looking for a home

Meet Lola, the lovely cat who was rescued from a neglectful home full of excrement, where she had to eat dry pasta and couscous to survive.

Poor Lola, five, was found in a house in Durham along with two other cats and an elderly blind dog in January 2022.

A warning to readers: the below pictures of the home they were found in are a little hard to stomach.

The animals had been fending for themselves time and time again, with no access to proper food or water.

Starving Lola was forced to drink water from the kitchen sink and tear open packets of pasta and couscous with her fellow felines to try and stay alive.

They were severely dehydrated when they were saved, and Lola needed to be put on a drip.

This was partly down to the unbelievable heat caused by an electric fire that had been left on in the lounge.

The vet said the animals had been living with inadequate nutrition for at least six weeks, and would most likely have died if they had been left in that state for another couple of days. But thankfully, Lola made a good recovery at the RSPCA’s Great Ayton Animal Centre.

Now, 320 days after she was rescued, Lola is still at the shelter near Middlesbrough looking for a home.

This makes her one of the shelter’s longest-staying residents.

The other cats rescued from the house were also rehomed by the charity at different centres, but sadly, vets made the tough decision to put the elderly dog down due to ill health.

The charity prosecuted Lola’s owner, who was banned from keeping all animals for five years, and given a 16-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Cattery supervisor Beverley Dunn said: ‘Lola is a very sweet girl who has grown in confidence since she’s been with us.

‘She’s very independent and likes to do her own thing, but she also enjoys a little bit of fuss from the staff she’s got to know here over the past 14 months.

‘Her new owners will need to be patient and give her space, but we’re confident she’ll thrive and enjoy even more attention once she’s settled.’

Lola adores treats like Dreamies, as well as her box of catnip. She’s also a big fan of a ping pong ball she plays with at the shelter.

The moggy would prefer to live in an adult household and be the only pet in the home.

Lola would also appreciate having access to an outside space she can explore.

Beverley said: ‘After her traumatic past, she really deserves to be happy; she’s still a young cat and has her whole life ahead of her, and we hope that sharing her story will help us to find her a wonderful new home.’

You can find out more about Lola and how to register an interest in adopting her by visiting Great Ayton Animal Centre’s website.

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