A 19-year-old cat who has found herself homeless when her owner moved into a care home is seeking her own retirement pad. Littleun was admitted to Cats Protection Tyneside Cat Centre in December, as her owner had no family nearby to take her in.
Though she has the appearance of a Maine Coon, one of the larger cat breeds, she weights just 3.4kg. Beni Benstead, centre manager of the site in Felling, said: “Understandably for her age, she does have some health problems, including kidney issues common in elderly cats, but these are easily managed with a widely-available renal diet food, which we can talk through with potential adopters.
“We would hate for these minor medical issues to stop her from finding a home where she can settle down. She is a loving cat who enjoys being stroked while taking her rightful place on a lap.”
The centre also issued a plea for a “special kind of home” for Bugsy, who has been in the care of the centre since July 2025. Originally found as a stray, the five-year-old tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), most likely contracted when he lived on the streets.
FIV+ cats can remain healthy and live long lives, but need to be rehomed as indoor only cats because of the high risk of infecting other cats and to prevent them from catching other diseases to which they may be more susceptible. The condition can not be transmitted to humans.
After struggling with life in the shelter, Bugsy was moved to the home of a dedicated volunteer fosterer, where he has learning to build trust but does not yet welcome physical contact. Beni added: “We have had a few inquiries about Bugsy but sadly none of these have yet come to anything.
“Bugsy has come so far in his journey, from struggling to survive on the streets to getting used to having his every need met. It’s a slow process but he’s still young, so will have plenty of years ahead to relax into his new safe and warm lifestyle.”
Cats Protection Tyneside encouraged anyone interested in adopting Littleun or Bugsy to get in touch via the website or by calling 0191 653 1052. The centre celebrated re-homing 3,000 cats in October 2025, with Beans, a unique cat born with no sexual organs who received adoptions enquiries from as far as California; and scaredy-cat Bowie, who spent more than 100 days in the centre before a ChronicleLive appeal helped him find new owners, among the moggies rehomed.
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