Emaciated cat saved from brink of death

It’s rare that a cat as thin as Hope survives. 

Severely emaciated when she arrived at Blue Cross, poor Hope was also covered in mites and ticks.

Found straying in a garden, Hope was brought to Blue Cross just in time to save her life.

The young cat needed immediate vet care – and the dedication of the Blue Cross team – to give her a fighting chance.

“Hope was the skinniest cat the vet had ever seen that was still alive,” says Megan Baverstock, Veterinary Coordinator at Blue Cross Southampton.

“She was absolutely ravenous. I have never seen a cat like that, she was just frantic for food.”

Initially weighing just 1.75kg – less than half a healthy cat’s weight – emaciated Hope’s fur hung loose off her spine and over her visible skeleton.

Her face was gaunt and her ears looked huge against her tiny frame.

“When she first arrived, we thought we were dealing with a very elderly, sick cat but her teeth were really good so we knew she was quite young,” adds Megan, who has spent one-on-one time with Hope to grow her confidence.

“She was absolutely ravenous but we had to be careful when we fed her that she wasn’t overfed because when a pet’s body has gone into shutdown, it can have consequences on their organs.”

Hope needed to be given frequent, small amounts of food, and weighed regularly to make sure she was gaining weight at a healthy rate.

“Hope was on tiny amounts of food every couple of hours and we built it up slowly,” continues Megan.

“She was gaining weight and being weighed every few days. As food became more predictable, the focus on it and ravenous demand for it reduced. 

“Thankfully her general condition, such as her coat, hadn’t really been affected.”

Aged almost three, it took the gorgeous ginger cat around two months to reach her ideal weight of 4kg.

The transformation is incredible, with Hope now happy and healthy and ready for a new home.

It is thought that as a stray, Hope might have become trapped somewhere that she couldn’t escape or find food, leading to her severe weight loss.

Once Hope’s health had stabilised, she spent time with the Blue Cross behaviour team to help her get used to life beyond our centre.

Our vet also carried out routine care including vaccinations, microchipping, neutering and flea and worming treatments. 

Despite having been a stray, Hope’s friendly nature means she’s affectionate with people.

After more than 300 days in Blue Cross care, Hope needs a loving new home where she can forget her past woes.

“Hope is an affectionate cat on her terms, so we can see her living in a home with adults who have some cat experience and there’s land for her to explore,” says Megan. 

Can you rehome a Blue Cross cat like Hope?