Sponsorship star – Smudge’s happy ending

Smudge came to Woodgreen in March 2021 with injuries following a road traffic accident. Sadly, his owner was unable to afford the veterinary treatment and made the very difficult decision to hand him into our care, entrusting us to provide the medical treatment he needed and support him through his search for a new home.

He arrived in a very poorly state with a fractured pubis and dislocated hip. Our amazing Veterinary team arranged surgery for him the very next day, which involved putting a pin in his hip. Unfortunately, the pin didn’t seem to work as best as they’d hoped and his hip popped out, resulting in more complex surgery.

But it didn’t end there for poor Smudge. Not long afterwards, we discovered he had FIV, an infectious virus in cats that affects the immune system and because of this, we knew he would have to live somewhere remote where he can’t come into contact with other cats.

To help him on his long road to recovery, we placed Smudge in the care of Winnie, a dedicated Woodgreen fosterer who was able to give him lots of care and attention. Smudge also needed physiotherapy and came back to Woodgreen regularly to see our on-site physiotherapy nurse.

We wanted to encourage Smudge to use his back legs by walking up gentle ramps and steps. Other exercises involved using a floor ladder to walk and step over which helped strengthen the muscles in his hind leg.

Physio worked wonders for Smudge and he started to grow stronger everyday and with this, his cheeky personality began to shine through. An inquisitive cat, Smudge loved to explore Winnie’s house and would often dart around when he should have been resting.

By October, he had made a full recovery and he was no longer limping. Smudge really came to life and took a great interest in toys, especially his mouse. Since he wasn’t able to go outside, Winnie provided plenty of enrichment for him to express his natural desire to hunt. This kept his mind active, helping him to feel happy and calm.

Smudge certainly made himself feel at home in the year he spent with Winnie. He was very affection and a loyal feline, keeping her company while she practiced the piano. “He would come and sit nearby, but often climbed over the piano knocking things over. Maybe he thinks I should be playing Rossini – who composed the Cat Duet!”, Winnie says.

Smudge got up to all sorts of other mischief too, stealing items from the house and leaving them around for Winnie to find, taking over her bed and making himself comfortable in unusual places like the broom cupboard when it was hot.

After 533 days of dedicated care from our vets and Winnie, our Rehoming team found a great match in adoring new owner, Emma, who tells us: “Smudge has settled in extremely well. He enjoys spending time in the garden and loves to play with wool. We adore him – it feels like he’s been part of our family forever.”

Thanks to the kind support of our amazing sponsors, we’re able to find cats like Smudge a loving new home. Find out how to sponsor a pet at Woodgreen and help give pets a second chance at happiness.