Good things come to those who wait
From Britain’s most unwanted pet to the most loved, Casey the cat has made himself at home…
Was it his black fur or his 13 years that led to Casey to be dubbed ‘Britain’s most unwanted pet’? We don’t know why poor Casey was without a home to call his own for longer than almost all other Blue Cross pets, but it could have been thanks to the myth believed by some that black cats bring bad luck.
Casey arrived at our Thirsk rehoming centre on 9 May 2013 when his elderly owner could no longer look after him.
He was finally rehomed with a loving family from our Bromsgrove centre on 21 May 2014, but also spent time at our rehoming centres in Oxfordshire during his 378 days in Blue Cross care.
Most cats stay with us for just 10 days on average before a new home is found, so Casey had been in our care for almost 28 times the average moggy.
We put out a special appeal for Casey, hoping a bit of publicity might find him the loving home he deserved.
When Beccy Bonar spotted Casey on our Facebook page and realised he had been without a home for over a year, she knew she had to give him one.
“I went to see him as soon as I could,” remembers Beccy. “He was just lovely. He was sleeping when I got there and when he woke up he came straight over for a fuss.”
Coming home
Beccy had prepared a safe space in her bedroom for Casey to relax when he first arrived home until he was ready to be introduced to her three-year-old son, Harvey.
She needn’t have.
“I was really shocked. I had thought he might want a quiet place to settle but he just made his way out of my room and sprawled out in the hallway,” says Beccy.
“It’s as if he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.”
No one loves Casey more than Harvey, who has already become a very proud pet owner.
Beccy says: “He’s constantly talking about Casey and asking me questions about him. I thought the novelty might wear off after a while but it hasn’t.
“Harvey would like to help me to give Casey his medication but that won’t be happening just yet!”
Casey’s front legs are showing the early stages of arthritis, and he has initial signs of liver disease too, so Beccy feeds him a special diet and gives his medicine following advice from our vet.
His health might have been another reason putting people off rehoming Casey, but Beccy lives close to our centre and can easily bring him for vet checks whenever he needs.
“He’s absolutely awesome,” Beccy adds. “I can’t fault him.”
We’ll never know for sure why Casey was homeless for so long, but one thing’s for certain; he’ll never be unwanted again.