Bengal cat still waiting for his forever home after one year

‘Playful’ Louie has been a resident at St Francis Animal Welfare for ‘far too long’.

The four-year-old Bengal arrived at the Fair Oak shelter in 2022 after his elderly owner became too ill to look after him.

Staff and volunteers at the shelter described it as a ‘very sad situation’ as Louie had been left confined in a flat with little human contact.

This made him very scared, and he avoided any kind of interaction with humans.

But after months of confidence-building and love, Louie is beginning to come out of his shell, making it the perfect time to find his new home.

Louie the Bengal cat is looking for his forever home after a year at St Francis Animal Welfare (Image: St Francis Animal Welfare)

A spokesperson from St Francis Animal Welfare said: “Louie has taken a long time to come out of his shell, but once he gets to know you, he can be playful and inquisitive.

“He loves to explore and climb and particularly enjoys his paddling pool (a typical Bengal trait as they love water).

“Louie has been at St Francis for far too long and is just waiting to go to a loving home and live his best life.

“St Francis is celebrating its 70th birthday this year and the best present we could get would be for Louie to find a great home.”

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Louie has begun overgrooming after months in his pen, resulting in bald patches on his fur.

He is currently on a sensitive food diet and medication which will need to be continued in his new home.

And according to staff, Louie has no road sense so would need a quiet home with no children and lots of space.

They said: “He needs to be the only pet and away from other male cats.

“Over time in the shelter, however, he has become tolerant towards neighbouring female cats.”

Contact St Francis on 02380 693282 to find out more about Louie.