A cat who lost an eye and needed her jaw wired after being hit by a bus has defied the odds and is ready to be rehomed.
The RSPCA has been nursing Trudie, a tortoiseshell cat, back to full health for five months after she roamed the streets for 16 days after the accident.
The young stray animal suffered catastrophic head injuries when she was hit by a bus in Luton, Bedfordshire, on March 14.
Several passersby tried to help her, but she was terrified and ran away.
Animal care assistant Amy Hearne and volunteer Katie Duncan, who work at RSPCA Southridge Animal Centre in Hertfordshire, set out to find the injured cat by putting up posters, posting leaflets through doors and making appeals on social media.
Poor Trudie was eventually spotted in a yard on March 30 by a business owner who contacted the RSPCA. She was caught and rushed to a local vet.
Amy said: ‘Her facial injuries had left her unable to eat so she was weak and exhausted and must have been in so much pain.
‘She spent a week at the vets where she had life-saving surgery to remove her eye and wire her jaw back together. I can’t believe she’d survived as long as she had; she’s a little fighter.’
For a week she was fed via a tube while her jaw healed, and then she was moved to the Southridge cattery.
Staff gave her round-the-clock care to help her eat and move normally again, and now she is ready to find a new home.
Amy added: ‘Trudie is a miracle so we gave her a very special name; Trudie, after St Gertrude the Patron Saint of Cats.
‘We’ve spent months helping Trudie to recover and build up her strength and we’ve all fallen in love with her.
‘She’s cheeky, affectionate and playful; she’s such a character and will bring so much joy to the right family.
‘She’s still a youngster and absolutely loves to play but is also a real cuddlebug and will curl up on your lap within seconds of you sitting down.
‘She loves mealtimes – which isn’t surprising given everything she’s been through – and is very chatty; she’ll certainly let you know when she’s hungry! She may be a tiny cat but she has a big personality.’
Due to her missing eye, staff hope to find her a rural home away from busy roads and railways, where Trudie can enjoy access to a private, safe garden with lots of space to play and explore.
She’d like to be the only cat in the home and doesn’t want to live with dogs, but can go to a family with children aged eight and over.
Southridge deputy manager, Mona Jorgensen, said: ‘Trudie lost one of her eyes in the accident so she needs a home where she’ll be safe.
‘She is nervous around traffic and finds the sound of vehicles passing quite frightening so that’s why we’d like to find her a quiet, rural home where she’ll be able to enjoy the peace.
‘After everything this little miracle has been through, and overcome, we can’t wait to see her go off to a wonderful new home to live out her life being loved and spoiled.’
More information about Trudie can be found here but the animal centre asks prospective owners not to get in touch unless they meet the rehoming requirements outlined above.
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