Toffee’s story is quite typical of those cats that are brought in or handed over to Boote.
Toffee was found straying on a street in Tuebrook late one night by one of our Boote volunteers, who was walking back from an Everton match in early October. She had scabs all along her back, was struggling to walk and was thought to be pregnant. After a phone call to one of the Boote trustees, it was agreed that she could be taken in to a fosterer.
Over the next few days, the nearby area had leaflets popped through doors, posters put up in nearby shops and doors were knocked on. It turned out that Toffee had been straying in the area for over a year and was being fed by the locals. One young man said that she had been sleeping in a skip. It was clear that although Toffee was being fed she was struggling being on the streets and a lady who had been feeding her agreed.
Boote Home for Cats had her whisked off to the vets who found out that happily she wasn’t pregnant. She had a large hernia which was making it very uncomfortable for her to move around, a flea allergy and possible mammary tumours. She was an older girl between 8 and 10 years old.
Toffee was remarkable. She was extremely affectionate. She loved everybody! Children, adults, men and women. She loved to play and was happiest cuddled up on a lap. Anyone who visited fell absolutely in love with her. When her fosterer heard about the possible cancer she was very upset. We waited anxiously for test results on the suspected tumours, praying that they would come back negative and vowed that if they were positive, she would spend the remaining days of her life adored.
Over the next month Toffee got so much healthier, her fur became glossy and her flea allergy was treated so the scabs cleared up. Nobody had responded to the posters or on social media and it seemed that sadly Toffee was not being missed.
A few weeks later, we had the news back from the vets – Toffee was given the all clear! She was given celebratory chicken and catnip treats. She had her hernia removed and was so much more comfortable moving around. Playtime reached new heights of fun and her fosterer fell more in love. However Toffee was now healthy so it was time to think about parting ways. Toffee’s details were put up on the CatChat website and we waited. Older cats do generally struggle to find new homes and with her medical history we weren’t sure at all if she would find a new family.
It was only 5 days later when a phone call came in to our fantastic homing team. Toffee’s video had been seen and a lady who had been searching for months for an older affectionate cat got in touch. Liz worked from home, had a big cat-friendly garden away from main roads and two cats already. Liz and the family all came to visit Toffee that very weekend and (of course!) immediately fell in love with her. Toffee went off to her purrrfect forever family soon after. She must have felt they were perfect too, as within an hour of being there she had waltzed around the house and onto her new Mum’s lap. Two years later Missie, as is her new name, still rules the roost and lives the life of riley. Her family say she is an absolute delight and adores them as much as she is adored.
