A young cat found abandoned in a South London park with a tearjerking note from his previous owner has been taken in and rehomed by Battersea.
Nine-month-old Krispie was brought to the charity’s London centre last month by a concerned member of the public, who found the kitty left unattended in a carrier.
On arrival, Battersea staff were surprised to discover a note from his ‘heartbroken’ previous owner enclosed inside.
In it, they wrote that although Krispie was a ‘lovely cat’, they felt they had no choice but to give him away.
The message went on to describe how they simply could no longer cover the cost of feeding their pet, and were barely able to afford food for themselves.
‘It wouldn’t be fair on him to keep him with me,’ read the letter. ‘I done everything I could. I am heartbroken but I haven’t got any choice.’
After reading the note from Krispie’s owner, who had also left food and his favourite toy in the box, rescue staff got to work settling him into the cattery.
Understandably shaken from the experience and the sudden change in surroundings, Krispie showed visible signs of fear in his pen.
On his first night, he even refused to come out of his carrier.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for him to show himself to be the loving cat his previous owner had described.
Growing in confidence day by day, he quickly captivated the hearts and minds of those who cared for him thanks to his habit of greeting everyone he met with a smile and letting out ‘the cutest little chirp’.
Since then, Krispie has been re-homed to a couple in Surrey – where he spends his days purring and seeking out strokes and scratched ears.
With the cost of living crisis, Battersea has seen a steady increase in owners wishing to give up their pets. In June, 1 in 4 people who gave their cats to the charity said it was because they could no longer afford to keep them.
‘With inflation still sky high, these continue to be worrying times for everyone – including pet owners who may be struggling to provide their pets with the essentials,’ Becky MacIver, Centre Manager at Battersea said.
‘We know that having to give up a pet under any circumstances is truly heartbreaking, but want to remind people that bringing it to a rescue like Battersea really is the most responsible thing you can do if you can no longer meet their care needs,’ she added.
‘We will endeavour to help, and do so without judgement.’
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