Senior Northamptonshire cats find their purrfect retirement home after appeal from RSPCA

Two senior cats from Northamptonshire branch have been rehomed after the appeal reached a student vet nurse in Norfolk who offered them the perfect retirement home.

Lucy Marheineke from Kings Lynn rehomed Leon and Nikita from the RSPCA's base in Brixworth, where they have been looked after as their previous owners could no longer care for them.

Lucy and her partner Ciaran came forward after seeing the viral local and national stories about the 21-year-old cats needing a loving home as soon as possible earlier this month.

“I spotted the press story on Leon and Nikita and emailed the branch straight away," she said.

"I’ve already got a 14-year-old cat called Herrman from Cats Protection so I’m used to having an older cat.

"I work at a vets and I’ve cared for the older, slightly broken cats so I knew I could help Leon and Nikita.”

The friendly brothers licked Lucy and seemed to take a liking to her straight away when Lucy and Ciaran picked them up on Friday (October 16).

Once home, they ate some food and curled up to sleep on their beds almost immediately, according to the RSCPA.

Michelle Billingham, from the RSPCA Northamptonshire adoptions team, said: “We are just so thrilled that we could find such a perfect home for Leon and Nikita.

"We’d like to thank everyone who shared their story. They are just the sweetest pair and really deserve this second chance at happiness.

“We have now launched an appeal to help other golden oldies just like Leon and Nikita whose medication, specialist food and treatments can be quite costly for the branch.”

RSPCA Northamptonshire launched its ‘senior kittizens’ fund on their Facebook page this week which will help fund the cost of caring for older cats.

To support the branch text LEON 5 to 70450 to donate £5. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.

Leon and Nikita’s rehoming success coincides with the RSPCA’s rehoming campaign Adoptober which shines a light on the animals needing homes across England and Wales and encourages people to adopt, not shop.