A North East cat café has issued a plea for a member of the public to take a chance on a Greek street cat this Christmas that has so far struggled when it comes to rehoming.
Groku, a 16-month old white and tabby cat, has been at the Bad Cat Café in Wallsend for eight weeks. Though it may not sound like a long time, owners Tasmin Hirst and Roxanne Scott usually see cats rehomed within a month.
However, with Groku there are a few catches that come with the once feral cat, who was brought back from Greece by a couple who fell in love with him on holiday - only to find out later that he was a bit of a handful! It is thought that he was hit by a car in his native land, meaning that he has a damaged intestine and colon which are smaller than those of other cats.
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This means that his bowel is damaged and he gets constipated very easily and will be on lactulose for the rest of his life, which is mixed in with his food. This will cost around £8 a month and Tasmin describes it as "not a big deal."
He's also deaf, but the main reason Groku has struggled to find a new home is that he struggles around other cats and would therefore be looking for a home where he's the only pet. Tasmin said: "He's very, very aggressive towards other cats, he was with a family and was pouncing on their cat when he was a kitten.
"It was cute when he was a kitten but he hasn't grown out of it, so it's not play aggression. He's deaf so that makes him difficult to train too, he's quite a lot of cat to cope with, obviously he's still very young."
Groku is currently staying with a foster carer, after he would "hunt" the other more chilled-out cats currently residing in the Wallsend Café, which opened in August. Tasmin and Roxanne were hoping that the lady who is currently hosting him would fall in love with Groku, but he's so far proved to be a bit much for her.
Despite Groku's flaws, Tasmin says there is a very loving cat who will be a lovely pet once he's got a bit of stability. She said:" I think 90% of his problems are because he's had such an inconsistent upbringing and he's been uprooted so much already.
"He's a lovely cat, he's very, very affectionate. He'll climb up your neck and give you kisses."
"The foster lady says he's quite naughty but that's part of his charm I think. He's 16 months old and coming from the streets of Greece so if he wasn't really naughty I'd be surprised.
"My theory is that if he lived somewhere for a while he'll settle down once he has a bit of consistency in his life, he's just sweet. He's perfectly healthy aside from his hearing and his bowel, but the main problem is you'll not get insurance to cover a pre-existing condition like that.
"It'd be lovely if we found his forever home in time for Christmas. I don't want him to be thrust from place to place, especially when he's such a lovely young cat."
On the subject of Christmas, Tasmin and Roxanne are preparing for two new cats coming in from rescue centre in Romania and a couple from Greece too. But Tasmin admits that the cost of living crisis is having an impact on the café and she's even taken a second job working overnight.
She finished: "We are getting help off the government but because everyone's so skint in general, we're not getting as many customers as we used to. We had a great first few months but we're not getting as much now, you can understand it but it doesn't help us too much.
"Everything we make gets invested into looking after the cats, speying and neutering them, so I've got a second job to get us through the winter."
If you are interested in adopting Groku, email the Bad Cat Café at thebadcatcafeoutlook.com, visit the café's Facebook page, or go to the café on Wallsend's High Street East.
Would you give Groku a chance in your home? Let us know!
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