Meet Oscar, the tragic cat who became homeless at 20

Oscar is a beautiful black cat whose energy belies his age: he's aged 20, making him one of the oldest cats ever to find themselves at The Sheffield Cats Shelter in need of a new home.

He had been a loved housecat, but tragedy struck earlier this year when his owner for two decades suddenly died. It's believed that Oscar left the house when the door was open as the property was being emptied and so he found himself a homeless cat alone on the streets in a steel city winter.

The cats shelter were alerted to his plight when a neighbour of the late owner contacted them to say that Oscar was sporadically returning to his old home and meowing pitifully outside the door. It was a heart-rending sound - the cry of a once treasured pet wondering why the person he'd loved could no longer let him into his warm, familiar home. Without intervention it seemed unlikely that this senior catizen, completely unused to life outside, could survive much longer. Something had to be done.

Oscar was caught, placed in a cat carrier and brought to The Sheffield Cats Shelter in Broomhall. Now at last he had warmth, and food, and the veterinary help that he needed, but he still didn't have the one thing he wanted more than anything else: a home. The sad fact is that while kittens are always in demand from would-be adopters, cats like Oscar typically face a much longer wait.

Becki Hollingworth, the shelter's Cat Welfare Manager, explained: "Many people want younger cats rather than senior cats like Oscar, and his colour counts against him as well: some people still believe that black cats are bad luck, while we've had others tell us that they don't want a black cat because they don't look as good on Instagram! We don't think that's fair at all. Oscar is a very photogenic cat, with a face full of character. His age shouldn't count against him either, as he is energetic for his age and full of love. All Oscar asks for is a warm, secure home, someone to love and a lap to snooze in - is that too much to ask for? We don't think so."

The Sheffield Cats Shelter is appealing to readers of The Star who might be able to offer Oscar a forever home. "Oscar is available to adopt right now," said Becki. "He will need a quiet home without other pets, and with access to a safe garden. He has a kidney condition and arthritis, but these are nothing too serious and we can help with these ongoing costs, so please don’t let that put you off this fabulous cat. We all love Oscar here, but we'll love it even more when he finds his forever home. If you'd like to apply to adopt Oscar simply give us a call or head to the adoptions page of our website."

Oscar has had a tragic start to 2023, but with your help we can still give this kitty's story a happy ending!