Starving Stray Cat Surprises Homeowner by Breaking in and Begging for Food

As winter approaches, life on the streets is about to get even harder for the stray cat population. Many already struggle to find food, with a few brave felines resorting to desperate measures.

One-year-old tabby Prosecco got so hungry recently that she stole through a random homeowners catflap, breaking into their kitchen and begging for food.

• Compared to the homeowners pet cat, poor Prosecco was incredibly thin and scruffy-looking. She was covered in ticks and fleas, and in a very sorry state.
• She pushed past her domestic counterpart in desperation, hurling herself through the catflap and screeching for food.
• Prosecco’s tummy was also slightly distended, leading the homeowner to grow concerned she may also be pregnant.

After giving Prosecco some of their own cats’ food, the homeowner called Mayhew for help, and we went straight out to rescue the poor little thing.

Our Animal Welfare Officers brought her back and conducted a full intake examination and health check, where it was discovered that Prosecco was not pregnant, and that her distended tummy was a symptom of her malnourishment.

We settled her down in a warm and cosy cabin with some much needed food and water, and administered a de-fleaing treatment to clear up her fur and skin. We also prescribed a short course of anti-inflammatory steroids to help with the pain and swelling caused by the flea and tick bites.

Thankfully, Prosecco was otherwise unharmed and once fed, showed herself to be a sweet and friendly cat. We kept her under close observation until her infestation had cleared up and she’d gained weight, making sure we gave her lots of love and attention.

After a few weeks in Mayhew’s care, we were thrilled to see Prosecco look happier and healthier, and as soon as she was ready we neutered her and gave her all the necessary vaccinations and treatments she’d need before placing her up for adoption.

Happily for her, it wasn’t long before she caught someone’s eye, and we were delighted to match her with a purrfect new owner.

Prosecco is now settled down in her loving forever home, her days of hunger behind her – but sadly, not all stray and unwanted animals get so lucky.

We need your help over the winter to make sure we can continue to provide emergency care to stray, lost and abandoned animals all over London. To make a one-off donation, please visit our website here, where you can also choose to support us via a monthly direct debit.

To see which cats and dogs are still looking for a home of their own, please visit our adoption pages here and check out our updated rehoming application procedure if you would like to register an interest in any of them.