From rescued to rehomed: Otti's Ordeal

Otti the cat’s favourite spot to perch on the top of a dresser under a window, watching the world go by and quietly purring.

A happy and content cat, you’d never know he has suffered or experienced pain, but unfortunately Otti didn’t have the easiest start to life. Otti was rescued by SPCA Inspectors in Gisborne after he wasn’t receiving the care he needed.

There was one distinct thing that immediately stood out about Otti – his ears. They curved up unnaturally and there was a notable amount of fur loss on the tips of his ears. Upon further examination by our team, we discovered the cause – Otti had suffered severe sun damage from New Zealand’s harsh rays.

Just like people, animals can also suffer from sunburn. Pets who are fair-skinned or light-haired are particularly susceptible and this is something poor Otti was all too familiar with.

Since all our SPCA Centresbecame one national SPCA, we are now able to achieve better outcomes for animals across the country and work together to ensure no matter where an animal is located, they can receive specialist care.

Otti is a clear example of this. After seeing the extent of his injuries to his ears, Ottiwas transferred from our Gisborne Centre to our hospital unit in our Wellington Centre so he could receive the treatment he needed.

With such bad sun damage to the top of his ears, our Wellington Centre’s veterinary team had to make the decision to amputate them. They knew that Otti would thrive in the right home, and that this was the best outcome to secure him a healthy and happy future ahead.

Otti's ear surgery was a success and his ears healed really well. He made a full recovery and after passing all his health checks Otti was ready to start a new chapter in his SPCA journey – finding a forever home!

Because he’s a light-haired cat, Otti’s new family needs to be extra vigilant during summer for the rest of Otti's life and amazingly, the team were able to find Otti the perfect inside-only home.

He has since been renamed Vincent, and is settling in well with his new mum Tegan and getting up to his usual playful antics.

“He’s very playful and wakes us up every morning, well before we’d like to get up,” she laughs.

“Vincent is incredibly curious and will try to get into every cupboard or box, including the oven, which is a big no! He also likes to walk across our headboard on the bed and jump across the cabinets and side tables.”

“He has really become a part of our family and he brings us so many laughs and occasionally a good cuddle.”

To find out more about summer safety, how you can protect fair-haired animals like Otti, and how you can keep your pets happy and healthy, click here.