Lola the cat is hoping to find a new home after she was brought to an animal shelter pregnant a year ago and has watched as her kittens were adopted but she has been left on the shelf.

Ely Standard: Lola has spent the last year looking for a new home. She is at Blue Cros Ely. PHOTO: Blue CrossLola has spent the last year looking for a new home. She is at Blue Cros Ely. PHOTO: Blue Cross (Image: Archant)

Now, it is hoped her luck will change, as the shelter launches a campaign to find the six year old cat a family to call her own.

Clare Trippett, Blue Cross rehoming centre manager, said she thinks Lola’s medical history is putting potential new owners off.

She said: “She has suffered from feline idiopathic cystitis but is on a prescribed diet specifically designed to tackle the condition.

“Unlike in people, cystitis in cats is frequently caused by stress rather than by infection.”

Seb Prior, Blue Cross senior vet, said: “Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) is really common and there are lots of things that a new owner could do to help prevent it happening again.

“Certainly stress is the most significant cause so anything we can do to reduce this is going to help.

“Having lots of hiding places is a really good way of making cats feel safer, so a new owner might have boxes or covered spaces for Lola to hide away in each room.

“Also making sure litter trays, feeding bowls and water source are out of the line of sight of windows and patio doors.

“Anything that makes Lola wee regularly is also likely to help. So having a choice of water trays, maybe a water fountain or even adding something to her water to make it tasty and encourage her to drink more may help.

“I’ve known owners to make up some chicken or fish stock and freeze it into ice cubes, then add one each day to the cats drinking water.

“Some cats might not like that of course so it’s important for them to have a choice.”

Pheromone therapy like a Feliway diffuser, which releases an odourless substance, can also make cats feel less stressed and supplements such as Cystease can also help, he added.

Clare said: “Lola is a really sweet and affectionate girl, who loves lots of fuss and attention, especially curling up on people’s laps.

“She’s been through a tough time but just needs a loving owner who is happy to provide her with a quiet home and the support that’s needed.”

For 290 days, the black and white cat has been waiting for a new home at Blue Cross in Cambridge. The average stay for cats at the pet charity’s rehoming centre on Garlic Row is just 34 days.

• The Blue Cross centre in Cambridge has been helping homeless and abandoned pets in the region since 1935. They find loving new homes for hundreds of cats and rabbits every year. To contact the centre call 0300 777 1470 or drop in at 20 Garlic Row, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8HW. Please call ahead for opening hours.