RSPCA rescue cat Sidney finds poorly stray kitten “covered in fleas and shaking violently” and brings it home

An RSPCA rescue cat called Sidney has ‘paid it forward after finding a poorly stray kitten ‘covered in fleas and shaking violently’ and bringing it home
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An RSPCA rescue cat has paid it forward by ‘rescuing’ a poorly stray kitten. The cat, from Norbury, brought the struggling kitten in to share his new home.

Tabby cat, Sidney, is 10 years old and was himself rescued by the animal charity in September 2022 after being abandoned and left on the street. RSPCA animal welfare officer Sarah Henderson, said: “When we first found Sidney he was underweight and suffering from a nasty skin allergy. 

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“We took him to RSPCA Wimbledon, Wandsworth and Sutton Branch where he was given some much-needed TLC and veterinary care. The poor fellow wasn't microchipped and despite our best efforts to trace an owner, no one came forward to claim him.”

Sidney was looked after by the RSPCA until he was fit and healthy enough to be put up for adoption. He quickly found a loving new home with owner Katerina Miteva.

Stray kitten rescued by former stray cat

Katerina, 26, from Norbury, London, said: “I adopted Sidney at the end of October last year, we weren't sure exactly how old he was, but the vet estimated that he was around 10. The first few days were a bit rocky whilst he settled, but I gave him lots of space and let him establish boundaries. 

“Once he realised that he was safe, he made himself comfortable. I had to keep Sidney indoors for the first six weeks so he could get familiar with his new surroundings and not get lost whilst exploring the neighbourhood. 

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“On his first venture outside, Sidney rescued a kitten. There had been heavy rain that morning, so Sidney waited patiently for the rain to stop before stepping outside. 

“I left the kitchen door open whilst I was cooking so he could wander in and out as he pleased. Once the rain stopped, he disappeared into the garden.

“I carried on cooking and then I remember hearing this 'meow' behind me. I turned around to see Sidney standing there, holding something hairy and dripping wet in his mouth. At first, I thought he had brought home a dead animal he caught, but then the tiniest squeak came from whatever he was holding in his mouth.”

“Covered in fleas and shivering violently”

Katerina then realised Sidney had brought home a “really small kitten”. She wrapped the kitten up with kitchen towel and took him straight to the vet, as he was “covered in fleas and shivering violently, barely making any noise”.

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Katerina added: “Sidney was waiting by the front door when I came back with the kitten a few hours later and kept following me around and sitting next to me or the kitten as if he was keeping watch. The vet wasn't optimistic about the kitten's survival chances, he was just five weeks old when Sidney found him. He's a little fighter and with some loving care and under the watchful eye of Sidney he beat the odds and made a full recovery.”

A happy ending

Sidney’s owner Katerina tried to locate the kitten’s owners but no one came forward. “They warned me that this could be a case of someone just getting rid of a kitten they didn’t want,” she said.

Katerina said that since Sidney and the little kitten – now named Attila – were happy to live together, the new addition ended up staying with them. “Attila is young, playful and so full of energy. Sometimes I feel like he is an over-enthusiastic golden retriever trapped in the body of a little kitten,” she said.

Katerina added: “I often wonder what made Sidney rescue a helpless kitten. Sidney is not what you would call a social cat, he tends to stay away from other cats and he keeps himself to himself. He is as antisocial as I am, which I find funny!

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“I like to think that he, just like many other animals, is a good judge of character. I think that despite his reluctance to be around other cats, Sidney is compassionate and knew if he brought the struggling kitten home I would help, just as I had helped him when I rescued him. I'm so proud of him for his act of heroism, the little kitten was unlikely to have survived without his help.”

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