Meet twelve-year-old Thomas, who came into care with Cats Protection at Breckland branch after he was found with a nasty wound on his neck. 

He was spotted in a layby miles from any houses, a woman grew concerned as the cat hadn’t moved when she drove through the East Anglia woodland several times. Sensing something was not right, the driver contacted us here at Breckland branch. 

One of our volunteers Rita took the call. “The poor boy was in pretty sad shape,’ she said. “He had a badly sore neck wound, which vets thought could be an infected collar injury that went from bad to worse, as there is a white mark on his neck where the fur has not grown back.

“We may never know exactly what caused the injury or why such a loving cat was abandoned, but the main thing is that he’s safe now. He’s such a lovely boy and, despite being left in the forest with an open wound, the little love didn’t even have fleas.”

Vets treated Thomas with antibiotics for infection and possible mange and samples were taken to check for ringworm. Further checks revealed high blood pressure, manageable with a daily tablet for life, and he has since had three teeth removed. Thomas was routinely tested for FIV and feline leukaemia and, when these tests came back negative, he was placed into Rita’s care for the start of his recovery.

This level of treatment is costly, which could be one reason for his abandonment, Rita said. “It’s easy to imagine how Thomas was injured accidentally and it went untreated. Then when he needed pricey dental work, his owner realised they couldn't afford a vet to treat him. 

“How anyone could have a cat for 12 years and then abandon him in the woods is a complete mystery to me, regardless of the circumstances. But we know people are struggling with rising costs and they can’t see that there is help available to them. There is always another way. It’s a real shame, too, as Thomas is such a lovely friendly boy who just wants to be with you.

We have had to foot a growing vet bill that has already topped £1,000 and, after seven weeks in care, is still rising. His recent dental bill alone was £500.

We have raised a few hundred pound at local fairs and fetes but, when fundraising has been hit hard, we are asking for help to fund Thomas’s recovery.

Please donate to help us care for Thomas and pay his very high vet bills. 

Any donations raised over the target will be used to help other cats in care here at Breckland branch. 

We cannot do the work we do without the support of our local community so thank you for helping us to continue to care for cats in the area. 

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity. Our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. Cats Protection has simple and clear objectives to help cats:Homing - Finding good homes for cats in needNeutering - Supporting and encouraging the neutering of catsInformation - Improving people’s understanding of cats and their careAchieving this vision is only made possible due to kind cat lovers who support our work. Visit www.cats.org.uk for more information.