Cats Protection helps old cat find new home in Swindon

Cats Protection is celebrating the benefits of older cats in line with Mature Moggies Day on 16 June

An 18-year-old cat has been adopted after being given up by his former owners for age-related health issues.

Dizzy, a black male cat known for his "mega-purr", was adopted by 52-year-old Dawn Green, from Swindon.

He was taken in by Cats Protection's Newbury Adoption Centre which said older cats can often be passed over in adoption centres, in favour of kittens.

Ms Green said Dizzy is "like a feline comfort blanket, especially when he makes his deep, healing purr".

When Dizzy was handed in to the adoption centre just before his 18th birthday, vets discovered that he needed a relaxed home and an understanding owner to cope with his urinary problems.

According to Cats Protection, cats over the age of 11 take three times longer to find homes than their younger counterparts.

Dizzy is known for his loud "mega-purr"

Ms Green, a Project Manager for the National Trust, was seeking an older cat as she felt she possessed the knowledge and experience to support one.

"I was going through a rough patch and didn't feel like I had the energy to keep up with a kitten," she said.

"I was really looking for company rather than a playful bundle of excitement."

Her previous cat, Pyewacket, was also from Cats Protection.

Fourteen-year-old Pyewacket had to be put to sleep earlier in 2022.

Dizzy quickly settled into his new home and his medical issues are under control.

Ms Green said Dizzy had some "really amusing quirks".

She said: "He's really too long to sit on your lap or curl up into a ball so he lies on my thigh like a panther with his legs hanging down each side.

"Another funny trait is his preference for only coming back in through the door he went out and he will consequently sit next to his preferred door for hours even though there is another open right next to him."