Struggling stray finds loving home
After battling life on the streets, Harvey is now happy and loved...
When Harvey Moon, a stray, was brought into Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, central London by a concerned member of the public he was in a bad way. Dehydrated, underweight and with an eye ulcer, Harvey was covered in fleas. Little wonder he seemed shutdown and depressed.
Our vets gave Harvey, nine-years-old, a full MOT – blood tests which showed he was anaemic and had early-stage kidney disease, and an ultrasound.
He also had a dental examination which resulted in the removal of two rotten teeth and was wormed, vaccinated, treated for fleas and neutered.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harvey was anxious. Often cats display anxiety by overgrooming and Harvey was pulling out clumps of his fur and vomiting up large hairballs. He was prescribed medication to combat anxiety and found a cosy foster home.
Harvey was the perfect guest – polite and well-mannered – and, in a home environment, he relaxed. When he returned to Victoria for a check-up our vets were relieved he was putting on weight and responding to fuss and cuddles.
“It was great to see how well Harvey was doing,” says Vicky Ebers, Senior Veterinary Surgeon at the hospital. “He spent a lot of time with us at Victoria and we all grew very fond of him. He’s a very special cat.”
After nearly 160 days in Blue Cross care, it was time for Harvey to find someone to love him to the Moon and back. Although kidney disease is progressive, it’s currently stage one, meaning no medication is required and it’s not impacting his quality of life. And he’s stopped overgrooming himself.
New owner Jane says: "Harvey Moon, is so happy to finally have a loving home and a devoted owner, he follows me everywhere.. purring.
"He's a very gentle, polite boy: no waking me up at 6am demanding breakfast. At night he sleeps with his paw on my arm: he just wants to be close to me all the time.
"I think he's worried that now he's found his happy ending I might disappear but hopefully as time goes on – it's four months since I adopted him – he'll realise this is his forever home."
