She soon got snapped up by Paul and Christine Wildman who, rather than being put off by her weight, saw it as a challenge that would bring with it added rewards to rehoming Flora.
“We fell in love with her straight away at the centre and we wouldn’t be without her now. We’re really motivated to get her weight down and always look forward to her weigh-ins at the vets to find out how much she’s lost. It’s rewarding to see the progress she’s made,” said Paul.
And she is now down to just less than 6kg thanks to the continuation of the specially-tailored diet implemented by vets at Victoria which comprises one wet tinned food meal a day and just less than a handful, or 15 grams, of dry biscuit treats.
Paul and Christine have also worked hard to get her more active and put her daily treats in puzzle games which “she has worked out in no time” but are important as she has no inclination to play.
Paul continued: “At first she was a bit of a beggar, we suspect she had been fed from the table before. But she’s getting the hang of it now and knows she’s not getting anything.
“We’re very strict with her food, we have to be. But she would never let us forget her mealtime, she’s very regular. My wife gets up about a quarter to five and she’ll come up and sit on the window sill for a while and then start scraping the carpet for attention once she loses patience,” said Paul.
But, as always, Flora’s favourite pastime remains a long snooze on a comfy chair – and on the day Blue Cross caught up with her, she hadn’t moved all morning. She couldn’t have looked more content in her new home.
“She settled in quite quickly,” said Paul. “She can be a little bit skittish at times and would bolt when she heard the doorbell. But she’s much better now than when we first got her. This is her home and she knows that.”
Thanks to the kind and generous support we receive, each year Together for Animals members provide over 340,000 animals with veterinary care and treatment.
