A stray cat found with a large wound to his neck has finally found a loving new owner – and already has her wrapped around his paw.
Although Rhodes has now settled into life with Lynsey Milton at her home in Forres, it took a long time for him to relax – initially being so terrified of human contact that he cowered under the furniture.
The moggy was rescued from Portsoy after concerned residents alerted the Scottish SPCA when they noticed he had large gaping wound to his neck.
The charity took him from a local vet to their rehoming centre at Drumoak for further medical attention, and then spent months rehabilitating him.
‘Slow road to recovery’
Animal rescue officer Debbie Gibson said: “He was in our centre for around three or four months and it was a slow road to recovery. He had regular vet visits and had to wear a cone for most of his stay.
“Rhodes gradually got used to the team and learned they were there to help him. He would soon allow them to make a fuss over him when they went in to his enclosure.
“Thankfully he made good progress and was soon ready to be rehomed.”
Ms Milton, from Forres, had been looking for a pet after her previous cat, who she had for 17 years, died from cancer.
“We were told that Rhodes had been a stray but nobody knows how long for,” she said.
“When he first arrived and we let him out of his carrier, he immediately went and hid under furniture. He stayed quite well hidden for the first wee while but he came out for food and water eventually.
“We gave him plenty of space to come round in his own time and he soon started to venture out.
Rhodes is now the ‘most loving cat’
“Now, it’s like he’s a different cat. He now expects around 15 minutes of attention in the morning where we just have a nice cuddle and I make a fuss of him.”
She said the transformation had been “incredible” and thanked all those at the Scottish SPCA who had helped him become the “most loving cat”.
The charity relies purely on donations to carry out its work to protect animals.
Ms Gibson said: “Rhodes is just a great example of the hard work done by our teams across the society.
“But it’s also thanks to members of the public and Scottish SPCA supporters that Rhodes was able to be rescued and rehabilitated. We are only able to function due to funding from donations. These services which helped Rhodes to recover from his ordeal wouldn’t be here without the generosity of the public.
“We are so thrilled there was a happy ending for Rhodes. He’s now living the life he was supposed to.”