MOCCA

Mocca had been a known stray in Haverhill for quite some time before we managed to trap him. He was unneutered, underweight, completely matted and very scared. We named him Mocca because of his brown fur,not realising at the time that the colour was due to malnutrition and neglect and was really an almost black fluffy cat.

He had a badly ulcerated mouth and had to have all his teeth removed, followed by lengthy treatment with medication. But at least he was able to eat properly again. But his problems continued - he developed a sort of eczema and his mouth ulcers kept flaring up. People did come to view him but nobody wanted him - he was shy, he had health issues, he was elderly.

Eventually an indoor foster place became available where gradually he gained in confidence but then he started to lose weight again in spite of eating very well - he was diagnosed with diabetes. With the odds against him, veterinary advice was not very optimistic. But we do not give up that easily and our devoted fosterers commenced twice daily insulin injections, with a period of monitoring and adjustment to get the dose right. Fortunately Mocca was a good patient and seemed to realise that we only wanted to help him. Then he took another turn for the worse, and after two days at the vet, to everyone's surprise, he was declared no longer diabetic and it was the unnecessary insulin that was making him ill.

He now loves his food in spite of not having any teeth, and we hope that his fur will improve with time and he will be a handsome little chap again. He now has a permanent home with his foster lady and actually helped write this story.

The photo on the left shows him as a poor dejected soul, and on the right he is showing off in his new secretarial role, although his typing is rather haphazard.

Cats Protection has over 250 branches across the UK. These branches are run by dedicated volunteers, often from their own homes. Branches take in cats in need and ensure that they receive all the veterinary care and attention that they need to help them get back on their paws.

Our branches have to raise funds to ensure that their cat work can continue. They do this through fundraising Events and appeals, while some also have charity shops. Branches also help to pay for the neutering of thousands of cats every year and help to spread cat welfare messages. In fact, over 74 per cent of our work with cats is carried out by our volunteers