Two year old cuddle monster Bobby started life with all sorts of trouble but it is his will that shines through. His only issue: he loves to rule the roost and being dominant means he cannot share with other felines. Please read Bobby’s profile fully before submitting an enquiry to adopt him.

Bobby’s former owner rescued him from the streets of Turkey, where he was found scavenging for food from a dustbin, dragging his deformed back legs behind him. He was then flown to the UK to start a new life, where he shared a home with seven other cats.

Although Bobby is extremely affectionate and friendly towards humans, it became quickly apparent in this new multi-cat household that he is less keen on sharing space with other cats. Bobby’s disability did not prevent him from repeatedly getting into spats and fights with his feline ‘siblings’, a habit that was made more high risk by his positive diagnosis for FIV. Although FIV is a difficult virus to transmit, it can be passed on through deep bites.

The difficult decision was made to rehome Bobby, and Catcuddles agreed to take him on. Upon examination at our North London cat clinic, it was quickly determined that Bobby continuing to drag his back legs was unsustainable, as it was causing him to twist his spine in an unnatural position, likely resulting in considerable pain. Specialists were consulted, and it was agreed that Bobby would have a better quality of life if the leg were amputated, one free of the daily discomfort that he had become accustomed to since his time on the streets.
Bobby’s amputation was completed at the clinic last week, and he has since been fostered at our south London hub in Abbey Wood, SE2. In some regards, his recovery from surgery has been swift - he is happily eating and playing already, as can be seen in these recent pictures.
The difficult decision was made to rehome Bobby, and Catcuddles agreed to take him on. Upon examination at our North London cat clinic, it was quickly determined that Bobby continuing to drag his back legs was unsustainable, as it was causing him to twist his spine in an unnatural position, likely resulting in considerable pain. Specialists were consulted, and it was agreed that Bobby would have a better quality of life if the leg were amputated, one free of the daily discomfort that he had become accustomed to since his time on the streets.
Bobby’s amputation was completed at the clinic last week, and he has since been fostered at our south London hub in Abbey Wood, SE2. In some regards, his recovery from surgery has been swift - he is happily eating and playing already, as can be seen in these recent pictures.

In the long term however, Bobby has a very long road ahead of him. His veterinary needs are among the most complex and unusual that we have encountered at Catcuddles. He will need daily physiotherapy at home to improve the muscle tone in his remaining hind leg, and to teach him how to put weight on it, something he is unused to due to him previously dragging his back end to get around. He is getting better with putting weight on his remaining hind leg but the conscious lifting of his main body and getting him to use the back leg is part of the daily exercise and his adopter must pledge to continue this under our guidance.Whilst the experts we have consulted believe there is every hope of success, there are no guarantees. It may be a long while before Bobby’s health is stable enough for him to be adopted, and there may be many more unforeseen bumps in the road. Catcuddles is looking for the perfect adoptive home for Bobby, which comes with a supersized heart and unconditional love for this feline. In return, the charity offers to share vet bills this lovely boy will ever have at our cat clinic, for life, though we doubt they will be sizeable. It is our commitment to seeing this boy to the right loving home without financial worry. The Catcuddles Cat Clinic is located in Palmers Green (N13) so if you wish to benefit from this you would need to live within travelling distance of the clinic. All adopted cats leave Catcuddles with trial insurance and this is important to take out, even for a cat like Bobby who has pre-existing health conditions that will not be covered by insurance. For our FIV+ cats the trial insurance is with Agria and if a policy is purchased within the trial period then you’ll be able to take out a policy for lifetime cover.
Whatever Bobby’s future holds, however, we are here for him, doing whatever is necessary to ensure that he has a rich and happy life as a special needs cat. One that is full of volunteers to dote on him, and stuffed elephants to hug.
Anyone adopting an indoor cat from us needs to be committed to creating a safe, enriching indoor environment, including cat proofing windows that will be opened, and cat proofing a balcony if there is one. We can offer advice on this.
You can read more about Bobby’s story and how he arrived at Catcuddles in The Catcuddles Community on Facebook.