Incy sitting down looking to camera in the cattery corridor

'One of a kind' cat finds loving home

A cat who was in Blue Cross care for a heartbreaking 110 days while she waited for a new home has finally got her happy ending.

Incy, six, arrived at our Lewknor rehoming centre in May with terrible skin problems which her previous owner was unable to continue funding the vet treatment for.

Nyki Lawn, Animal Welfare Assistant, said: “Incy was in a bit of a sorry state. She had multiple skin sores and wounds from a previous skin allergy and was very worried and confused about where she was and what was happening.”

Incy (left) on arrival in her cat carrier and (right) a photo showing the sore skin behind her ears.
Incy (left) on arrival in her cat carrier and (right) a photo showing the sore skin behind her ears.

Although nervous, Incy quickly gained trust in the team and her affectionate personality soon started to shine through.

She also became known as a bit of a “comedian” while she clumsily navigated life with a buster collar, which she needed to stop her itching and aggravating her sores.

“She was not very ‘cone aware’ and would make everyone laugh with her clumsiness. But it did mean that she got us to hand-feed her every day, so perhaps she was just being clever,” said Nyki.

It took some time for Incy’s painful skin to heal, and so our team moved her to a bigger pen so that she could stretch out her legs.

Incy out and about in the cattery corridor
It took several months to get Incy on the road to recovery and ready to find a home.

This is when her endearing “sassy” side began to show, explained Nyki.

“Although she had a big pen with a lovely view, she just wanted to be out and about in the corridors exploring and would do anything to dodge going back in her pen,” she said.

Finally, after three months of treatment – which included various medications and skin therapies – Incy was ready to find a home. But, sadly, having spent so long in the cattery by this point, she had started to feel a bit sad and low, and seemed to lose her spark.

Nyki continued: “Although she got plenty of attention from the team and the volunteers, it just wasn’t the same as having her own home. She had a few visits from potential new owners, but by this point she didn’t really want to be handled and fussed much by new people; it was all quite confusing for her.”

Incy going home with her new family
Incy going home with her new family, who fell in love with her straight away.

Thankfully, with plenty of love from those caring for her and some sunshine along the way, Incy’s spirits lifted - and her fortunes soon turned around, too.

Nyki said: “As time went on and the weather cheered up, so did little Incy. She developed her ‘breakfast dance’ that she became known for, and she started to enjoy being fussed again. Things were looking up for Incy, and the cherry on top was a visit booked for her to meet a lovely family.”

Incy relaxing on a rug in her new home
Incy in her new home

The visit went well and the family proved to be a perfect match for Incy, and so, at the end of August, she departed the centre to start her new life in Berkshire.

“They understood how she was feeling and didn't want to change a thing about her,” said Nyki. “They loved her just the way she is – so much so that they took her home as quickly as they could!

“It was a match made in heaven, and Incy settled into her new home immediately, choosing her spot and purring away.”

Nyki added: “In all of her sassy, comical, quirky and affectionate ways, Incy had finally found her place in a family - and it was worth the wait. While everyone in the team here is delighted that Incy got her happy ending, she will be missed at the centre. She is definitely one of a kind!”

— Page last updated 04/10/2019