Lola the Durham cat needs a new home after being found eating dried pasta to survive

Five-year-old Lola was found in a house in Durham along with two other cats and a blind dog in January 2022. Credit: RSPCA

A cat that was so hungry that it started eating dried pasta is still looking for a new home almost a year after she was rescued.

Five-year-old Lola was found in a house in Durham along with two other cats and a blind dog in January 2022.

The animals had been abandoned and left with no food or water, and living amongst rubbish and several weeks' worth of piled-up faeces.

All three cats were underweight and anaemic because of severe flea infestations. Lola was riddled with fleas and was put on a drip to treat her severe dehydration.

They had torn open packets of pasta and couscous to eat, and had been forced to drink water from the kitchen sink.

Heat from an electric fire left on in the lounge exacerbated the cats' dehydration.

The vet said the cats had been left with inadequate nutrition for at least six weeks and, if they had they been left for another couple of days, they would most likely not have survived.

The RSPCA prosecuted Lola’s owner, who was given a 16-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, and banned from keeping all animals for five years.

The other cats were re-homed by the charity at different centres, although sadly the blind dog was put to sleep on veterinary advice because of ill health.   

Lola has since made a good recovery at the RSPCA's Great Ayton Animal Centre, where she enjoys playing with a ping pong ball in her pod, and being fed Dreamies and catnip.

Cattery supervisor Beverley Dunn, said: “Lola is a very sweet girl who has grown in confidence since she’s been with us.

“She’s very independent and likes to do her own thing but she also enjoys a little bit of fuss from the staff she’s got to know here over the past 14 months.

She added: "Her new owners will need to be patient and give her space but we’re confident she’ll thrive and enjoy even more attention once she’s settled. 

“After her traumatic past she really deserves to be happy; she’s still a young cat and has her whole life ahead of her and we hope that sharing her story will help us to find her a wonderful new home.”