A cat who was so badly abused she was dubbed the ‘worst case’ of cruelty the RSPCA had ever seen has found her forever home.
The cat, who was named Minnie by staff, was discovered in June this year in Woking, Surrey, with burns all over her body. She also showed signs of sexual abuse.
Minnie remained with a foster family in the months since being rescued by the organisation, but was adopted by loving new owners on October 8.
The one-year-old tortoiseshell cat had a heartbreaking start to life, with her injuries leaving her with wounds so infected they were infested with maggots. As per the RSPCA, she also had a makeshift splint on her front leg and was so badly injured she was unable to stand.
Thankfully, she was picked up from her foster carer by her forever family Thea and Simon Mumford, from Kent, earlier this month and they haven’t looked back since.
Thea, who owns seven rescue cats, said:
My friend shared Minnie’s story on social media in June and I was just so upset reading it – how could anyone do such a thing to a defenceless animal?
As soon as I saw she was looking for a home I got in touch with Millbrook Animal Centre and we were successful – I still can’t believe she is here.
The couple initially thought it would take Minnie ‘a little while’ to warm to them, but described her transformation as ‘astonishing,’ adding: ‘she was so playful and loving’.
Thea continued:
She still has moments of being scared so I often let her come to me and she will nuzzle her head under my hand, looking for some affection.
I feel in such a privileged position to have been able to help Minnie. You see stories like this and feel sad but it’s not often you’re able to make a real difference.
I just want everyone who was affected by her story to know that this little cat will only know love for the rest of her life.
Claire Jones, the cattery supervisor at Millbrook Animal Centre who looked after Minnie in the early days of her recovery, said staff ‘fell completely head over heels’ for the animal when she came into the centre.
The supervisor described her as a ‘tough cookie’, adding it was ‘wonderful’ to know she’s now in a ‘loving forever home where she can enjoy the rest of her life surrounded by a family who cares for her’.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).