A ‘ravenously hungry’ cat who was forced to drink water from a sink and eat dried pasta after being abandoned at a property in the North East is enjoying her first Christmas in a new home.

Six-year-old Lola was rescued by the RSPCA from a house in Durham with two other cats and an elderly blind dog after the animals had been repeatedly left to fend for themselves and not fed properly for at least six weeks.

Forced to drink water from the kitchen sink, Lola and the other cats had torn open packets of pasta and couscous to try and stay alive.The Northern Echo: Lola had to be put on a drip after being neglected for many weeks

A vet who examined them said she had never seen animals so “ravenously hungry” before and had they been left for another couple of days they would most likely not have survived.

Living amongst rubbish and several weeks’ worth of piled-up faeces, all three cats were underweight and anaemic because of severe flea infestations.

They were also extremely dehydrated - in part because of the overpowering heat in the property which had been caused by an electric fire being left on in the lounge.

Lola was given a body score condition of only two out of nine and had to be put on a drip. After they’d been removed from the property by an RSPCA inspector, the animals were taken into the charity’s care, with Lola going to Great Ayton Animal Centre where she spent 14 months looking for a new home before being adopted by Maureen and John Williams in March this year.The Northern Echo: Six-year-old Lola was rescued by the RSPCA from a house in Durham

The couple, who live near Middlesbrough, were amongst hundreds of applicants to apply for the young cat after the RSPCA issued a special appeal for her.

Black cats typically take longer to rehome than their tabby or ginger counterparts, and the charity thinks Lola’s colour may have contributed to her long stay in rescue.

Mrs Williams, who has owned rescue cats all her life, said: “My brother saw Lola’s appeal and when we visited the centre we knew straight away we wanted to bring her home. We tell ourselves every single day how lucky we are to have her living with us.The Northern Echo: Six-year-old Lola was rescued by the RSPCA from a house in Durham

“She settled in really well and quickly became part of the family, becoming more confident and vocal as time went on. She’s so gentle and placid and really enjoys a cuddle and a fuss.

It was so upsetting when we found out what had happened to her. There’s not a day goes by when she doesn’t make us smile, all the family are absolutely besotted with her.”

Beverely Dunn, cattery supervisor at Great Ayton Animal Centre, said: “We were quite taken aback by the number of people who kindly came forward to offer Lola a new home after we put out the appeal. She was a very sweet cat and she grew in confidence during her time with us but she was overlooked for many months, possibly because of her colour.

“We’re over the moon that she found such a wonderful home with Maureen and John and has settled in so well. We knew, given time and patience, she would flourish. It just goes to show the perfect match is out there for every rescue animal - sometimes it can just take a little longer to find it.

“We’d encourage anyone who is thinking about welcoming a pet into their home in the New Year to have a look at our website as we have many more deserving animals who are also looking for a second chance.”

The RSPCA prosecuted Lola’s owner, who was given a 16-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, and banned from keeping animals for five years.The Northern Echo: Six-year-old Lola was rescued by the RSPCA from a house in Durham

The other cats were also rehomed by the charity at different centres, although sadly the elderly dog was put to sleep on veterinary advice because of ill health.

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Over 17,800 reports of abandoned animals have been received by the RSPCA across England and Wales up to the end of October this year. This compares with 16,118 reports during the whole of 2020, meaning the charity is on course to see a 32.9% rise in abandonment calls in 2023.

It’s higher too than the number of reports received in 2021 (17,179) and 2022 (19,645). The RSPCA is also receiving one call about animal neglect every five minutes, with 43,000 incidents reported to its emergency line up to the end of October.

The RSPCA said, the combined effects of the pandemic and a cost of living crisis have meant more animals than ever will need the RSPCA’s help which is why the charity is urging supporters to join the Christmas Rescue this winter.