Help a Stray Cat

01/01/2025

✨ Joy✨

I first met this girl in October 2022 in my neighbour’s garden. She was literally giving birth in front of the building. The people living in that building hate the presence of cats so they would have been livid to see her and her kittens there. So i scooped her and her three kittens up and took them to a cattery. Despite our best efforts two of her kittens passed away and the remaining kitten disappeared from my garden when he was around 4 months old. I have no idea what happened to him but just like his mummy he was always sick. She was always in and out of the vets for a chronic upper respiratory infection. I had her spayed and brought her to my garden where she stayed for around 8 months but i found her back at the same building a few months ago. She seemed fine there so i didn’t bring her back to my garden. Unfortunately, the last time i saw her she couldn’t walk straight and she had a runny nose again. I immediately knew she had neurological FIP. She was treated with GS-441524 injections for 84 days. Her treatment was extremely costly as we went through a bottle almost every 2 days. Her walking improved but she kept shaking her head and scratching her ear which only meant one thing. An ear polyp! As if neurological FIP wasn’t enough this poor girl was also dealing with an ear polyp. She had surgery to have it removed but her FIP came back and she received a further treatment for it for another 2 months. Shems all better now but she has been through so much in the past 2 years. I promised her i would find her the best possible home. She’s a gentle and loving tabby and i can’t wait to see her living the life she deserves. In order for me to find her a home abroad she needs to have a Titer test. She was due one on 16 September but we simply don’t have the funds for it. Please consider making a donation so that Joy’s one step closer to the life she deserves🙏🏻

01/01/2025

✨Adopt Robin✨

This gorgeous blue eyed boy was one of 7 kittens. His siblings passed away one by one and he’s the only one left. Life on the streets is tough for kittens and despite my efforts and countless vet visits i could not save his siblings. Robin barely made it too and in order for him to survive he had to have a full mouth extraction at the tiny age of 8 months. He’s still a kitten but he doesn’t have a single tooth in his mouth. Hence the reason i couldn’t return him to the streets. He can travel to the UK as of 7 November. Please consider opening your home to him🙏🏻

✅ Microchipped
✅ Fully Vaccinated
✅ Only 11 months old
✅ Male
✅ Neutered
✅ Extremely Affectionate
✅ Gets along with other cats
✅ Indoor only

27/12/2024

✨Minnosh fka Sophie✨

It was Minnosh’s first Christmas with her new mummy and her new fur sibling who’s also a former Turkish stray cat. Who would have thought these stray cats from Istanbul would be celebrating Christmas in Brussels this year?

26/12/2024

✨Benjamin✨

It’s Benjamin’s first Christmas with his new family. Who would have thought this former Turkish stray cat from Istanbul would be celebrating Christmas in London this year? His grandma even painted a bauble with his face on it! He’s truly adored by his family and we couldn’t be happier for him. What a lucky boy🥰

26/12/2024

✨Lokum and June✨

It’s Lokum and June’s first Christmas with their new family. Who would have thought these former Turkish stray cats would be celebrating Christmas in their London home this year? Look at them patiently waiting whilst their dad unwraps their presents🥰

20/12/2024

✨Sponsor a Cat✨

We currently have 7 cats at our office. Soon to be 8 when Nala’s discharged from the vets this week. It costs £30 to take care of a cat on a monthly basis. This includes their food, litter and supplements. Please DM us which one of our lovely kitties you’d like to sponsor. You can set up a montly donation via Paypal or set up a standing order via our bank account. Here’re our UK account details💜

Account name: Help a Stray Cat
Account no: 32362287
Sort code: 40-03-33

05/12/2024

Please nominate us for a chance to win £1000💜

Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

03/12/2024

Today is Giving Tuesday. Join us in making a difference to the lives of countless stray animals in Turkey by making a small donation today💜

29/11/2024

✨Cookie fka Maggie Update✨

Four weeks ago today this former stray cat travelled to the UK all the way from Istanbul and became a British kitizen! She has a lovely mummy who absolutely adores her. It took her a few days to settle in but it wasn’t long before she started to showcase her exceptional biscuit making skills! Life on the streets was so tough for this precious girl. Those days are behind her now as she now has a safe and warm home with a mummy who’s smitten with her. What a lucky girl🥰

29/11/2024

✨Benjamin Update✨

Four weeks ago today this partially blind boy travelled to the UK all the way from Istanbul and became a British kitizen! He was adopted by a lovely couple who absolutely adore him. They said he’s been life-changing for them! He settled into his new home rightaway. It’s as if he’s been there for years. Life on the streets was so tough for this precious boy. Those days are behind him now as he gets endless snuggles and hours of playtime everyday. What a lucky boy🥰

18/11/2024

✨Meet Ella✨

We found this gorgeous fluffball when she was just 6 weeks old. Apparently, her siblings had died and her mum had abandoned her so the locals put her in a building shaft to keep her safe. We were releasing back Jade’s mummy after her spay surgery when we heard Ella’s little meows. We were surprised to see her down there all by herself amongst all that rubbish. She had no shelter to protect her from the elements and no food or water. When we knocked on their door, we were told they had no choice but to put her there to stop her from getting run over like her siblings. But we couldn’t leave her there so, we took her into our communal garden where she joined Jade. They didn’t hit it off at first but they quickly became inseparable. They’re a bonded pair so they will be rehomed together. They were microchipped and vaccinated against rabies this weekend so they will be able to travel abroad in 4 months time☺️

18/11/2024

✨Meet Jade✨

We found this gorgeous Calico x Van cat when she was just 5 weeks old. Her mummy was trying to taking care of her and two of her siblings on a busy street. Both of her siblings sadly passed away. One of them was run over by a car and we don’t know how the other one died. Kittens are faced with all sorts of dangers on the streets and it’s a miracle some of them survive against all odds. Jade is one of millions of kittens born on the streets of Turkey every year. She was laying almost lifeless on the pavement when we found her back in August. She spent a week at the vets and received treatment for a respiratory infection, anaemia, diarrhea and dehydration. And she was riddled with fleas hence the reason she was anaemic. Despite her beautiful eyes and charming character we couldn’t find her a home in Turkey. Just when we thought we did people would let us down. One neighbour even brought her back the next day cos she meowed too much. So, we decided to care for her in our communal garden. She was joined by her friend Ella 10 days later so she had all she needed. Food, shelter and a friend. But it’s winter in Turkey now and we couldn’t leave them all alone outside so we decided to take them into our care with the help of a friend. They were microchipped and vaccinated against rabies this weekend so they will be able to travel abroad in 4 months time☺️

25/10/2024

✨Titer Test✨

We’re sure you’ve all heard us mention the Titer test everytime we rescue a new cat. But do you know what a rabies Titer test is and why our cats need it to travel?

Pets need a rabies blood test if they’re travelling from a country that is not part of the EU or a country that’s not listed, including Turkey.

Turkey is considered a high risk country for rabies, therefore even if our cats are vaccinated against rabies they must have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination.

Our vet sends the blood sample to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory all the way in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. The results of the blood test must show that the vaccination was successful (rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml).

Even if the results come back in a few weeks time we still have to wait 3 months from the date the blood sample was taken before our cats can travel. Overall, it takes a total of 4 months before a cat can leave the country and enter the EU or the UK.

Without the Titer test, our hands are tied and our cats cannot begin their journey. A Titer test currently costs £240 which is financially crippling for a small charity like us. We currently have 4 cats whose Titer tests are long overdue, therefore we need your help to get them one step closer to the lives they deserve. Last but not least, we can’t rescue new cats until the cats in our care are ready to travel🙏🏻

16/10/2024

✨Donation Appeal✨

We found this guy in a terrible condition a few weeks ago. He had a respiratory infection and a runny nose. There was even blood tinged mucus coming out of his nose. And his tounge was permanently sticking out with drool coming out of his mouth. Poor thing was trying to scavenge rotten leftovers in this state. We couldn’t let him suffer like this so we took him to the vets. He had lesions on his tounge from a possible calicivirus flare up. They made it painful for him to swallow and eat hence the reason his tounge was sticking out. He received treatment for them as well as his respiratory infection. Once he was better he was also neutered. He was at the vets for a total of 22 days. His treatment was long and difficult but his tounge no longer sticks out and he can now eat dry cat food which he couldn’t before. His treatment and surgery cost £360 in total. Please consider making a donation. We can’t continue to rescue cats in need without your donations🙏🏻

14/10/2024

✨Meet Thomas✨

We found him and his brother back in July 2023 trying to survive next to a busy road as tiny kittens. They both had terrible diarrhea and were emaciated. We rushed them off to the vets and they received weeks of treatment. I then brought them back to the garden to keep them safe from the dangers of the streets. We had them fully vaccinated and neutered as soon as they were old enough. Unfortunately, despite all of our efforts to keep them safe Thomas’ brother was run over by a rubbish truck only a few days after we had them neutered. It was truly heartbreaking after everything we did to protect them. When Thomas started climbing up 20 feet trees and jumping on rooftops i knew i had to take him into my care before my fear of losing him too turned into reality. Usually, we only rehome cats who absolutely cannot or should not return to the streets but we had to make an exception for this naughty boy before he hurt himself or worse! Thomas will be able to travel to the UK in 3 months time. He’s an incredibly smart cat. Just not smart enough to get back down after his rooftop antics!🤭

✅ Microchipped
✅ Fully Vaccinated
✅ Neutered
✅ FIV/FeLV negative
✅ 1.5 years old
✅ Gets along with other cats
✅ Incredibly affectionate
✅ Would benefit from a secure garden or a catio

30/09/2024

✨Maya✨

This gorgeous girl has been in her new home in the UK for almost a year. Tabbies have absolutely zero chance of getting adopted here as it’s the most common breed and there’re millions of them on the streets. Despite Maya’s heartbreaking story i wouldn’t have been able to find her a home here. Thankfully she has a lovely home all the way in the UK and she even has a pillow with her picture on it. How sweet is that?🥹

22/09/2024

✨Happy Adoptiversary Odin✨

This partially blind boy has been in the UK for a whole year now. One day my neighbour called to tell me that the friendly tuxedo i take care of was probably hit by a car and that he was dragging himself on the road covered in blood. I quickly ran over there and trapped him only to find out his face was covered in blood and snot due to a severe infection. He literally looked like he’d been hit by a car. He was treated for his infection and had surgery on his eye. Once he was better there was no way i was going to return him to the street. Odin was adopted by the most amazing family as soon as i rescued him. He has been living the life he deserves all the way in Leeds. He has the best mummy and a fur brother who he’s literally joined to at the hip! What a lucky boy🥰🧿