Nicknamed Mayhew’s ‘most affectionate cat’, eight-year-old Explorer didn’t lose any love for people, even after being left behind by his previous owner.

Explorer had been searching the streets for his purrfect partner in crime for approximately six months, when a member of the public called our Animal Welfare Officers. The eight-year-old cat played regularly with the lady’s daughter, and she could see that he was desperate for a long-term loving companion.

When we first brought Explorer in to Mayhew, our Vets noticed one of his pupils was larger than the other – a condition called Anisocoria. At first, his vision didn’t seem to be affected, and he didn’t seem to be suffering from any pain or irritation. However, as we monitored Explorer, we began to record significant ongoing changes in the left eye. Additional eye exams revealed that his sight was starting to deteriorate. Further tests also revealed unusually high levels of calcium in his blood.

We had to act fast

These sudden changes and abnormal test results indicated the onset of an extremely painful eye condition, and Explorer soon began to show signs of being adversely affected by these developments.

Our Vets decided to perform a surgery to remove the left eye, and our lab confirmed that Explorer had indeed been suffering from Idiopathic Lymphonodular Uveitis – an inflammatory ocular disease that can eventually lead to blindness.

Happily, the surgery went well, and repeat tests revealed that Explorer’s abnormal calcium results rapidly returned to a normal level.

Whilst we don’t know exactly what caused this common eye disease to flare up, we can say with confidence that Explorer is coping remarkably well with only one eye! He quickly recovered from surgery, and was immediately back up to his old tricks – charming our Vet Nurses and Cattery team into cuddling him at every opportunity.

A new beginning

Being such a cute, confident and companionable cat, it was no surprise to anyone when Explorer found a new home just a short while after being put up for adoption. Despite suffering from abandonment, a stressful six months on the streets and major surgery, he never wavered from knowing his forever family were out there – and he finally got the happily ever after he was so desperate to find.

His new owners love to shower him with affection, and have told us Explorer is thriving under unconditional love – chatting away as he is constantly carried around and cuddled. His curiosity knows no bounds, and he considers everyone who goes near him to be his new best friend.

We work tirelessly to ensure cats like Explorer are able to live their best lives, no matter what. If you think you can provide the pawfect home for one of our less-than-fortunate felines, please visit our Adoption pages.