Figgy Pudding’s Story
Figgy Pudding was just eight months old when he arrived at our adoption shelter, seeking solace from the realities of the street life as a stray.
Lonely, hungry, and scared,
Figgy’s fate took a turn for the better when he crossed paths with Kirsty and her family after just two weeks in our care. Kirsty’s youngest daughter, battling a serious illness, longed for a furry friend to provide comfort, companionship and help bring her family together.
Figgy, with his gentle demeanour, quickly became the perfect companion for Kirsty’s family. For six blissful months, Figgy filled their home with love and laughter.
However, six months into their journey together, tragedy struck when Figgy suffered a debilitating injury, threatening to tear him away from the loving home he’d found.
Figgy returned from playing, limping and couldn’t bear any weight on his front leg.
Concerned, Kirsty took him to her local vet where X-rays soon confirmed the worst. Figgy had badly injured his front leg. The vet broke the news that he would need surgery to have his leg pinned or possibly even amputated. Figgy was put on pain relief immediately and had to be confined to a cage for his own wellbeing and comfort.
Kirsty was left with a heartbreaking decision to make. Figgy had become such an important member of her family. He had brought them together at a time when they needed it. But the surgery Figgy needed would have cost somewhere between $2500 and $4000. And that was on top of the $500 she had already paid for his consultation and diagnosis.
Kirsty faced an agonizing decision as she grappled with Figgy’s mounting medical bills.
As a single mother raising three children, the cost of Figgy’s necessary surgery was beyond her means. Unable to bear the financial burden alone, she reached out to our Society with the intention of surrendering Figgy back into adoption shelter, devastating her family.
But hope emerged when our Society intervened. It was clear that Figgy wasn’t just a pet; he was family and the best outcome was to keep Figgy with his family and out of our adoption shelter.
Through our Benevolent Fund, we pledged our support and performed the surgery Figgy required at a significantly subsidised cost.
“Word’s can’t describe how happy and relieved I felt” said Kirsty. “It meant the world that our little family could stay together.”
Surrounded by his loved ones, Figgy quickly recovered from his surgery and it wasn’t long before he was back to his friendly, playful self- living his best feline life with his human family.
Sadly, Figgy’s story is far from unique and our Society is seeing more and more loving cat owners reach out in desperation needing to surrender their cat due to an unexpected veterinary need or emergency; a sad reality we are concerned will only worsen as the cost of living crisis impacts more and more Victorians.
The Cat Protection Society Victoria currently receives no government funding. That means our financial resources are extremely limited. Right now, we simply don’t have the capacity to offer support to every family and every cat that needs it.
That’s why we established the Cat Protection Society Benevolent Fund to protect the unique and heart-warming relationships that cats share with their loving families.
By donating to the Fund this tax time, you can help provide financial assistance to cover medical costs, so cats like Figgy can remain in their forever homes.
Your generosity can ensure that more families like Kirsty’s never have to face the heartbreak of surrendering their beloved companions due to financial constraints.
Will you make a donation to our Cat Protection Society Benevolent Fund this tax time?
Your tax-deductible gift before June 30 could:
| Provide a health check and consultation for a cat like Figgy for |  |
| Cover the cost of diagnostic tests like x-rays and blood work for |  |
| Fund life-saving surgery for a cat facing a similar fate as Figgy for |  |
Join us in safeguarding the special connections between cats and their devoted families. Your compassion can make all the difference in the lives of cats like Figgy.
Our Cat Protection Society Benevolent Fund:
Our Benevolent Fund was established with a heartfelt mission: to spare devoted cat owners from the agonizing choice of parting with their cherished feline friends, and to shield beloved cats from the anguish of abandonment in our shelter.
Take Figgy Pudding, for example.
Our Benevolent Fund will be used by our Society to provide a lifeline to loving cat owners facing financial hardship where the owner’s inability to fund emergency or unexpected veterinary care would otherwise result in surrender, euthanasia or significantly impact their cat’s life.
This funding provides for one-off, emergency or unexpected veterinary care and cannot be used for ongoing veterinary or preventative care.
All applications for support using our Benevolent Fund will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and the decision on the cat’s and families we are able to assist will be made in consultation with a member of our adoption shelter team and a Senior Veterinarian.
A donation to our Cat Protection Society Benevolent Fund will help our Society safeguard the unique and heart-warming relationships between cats and their families, ensuring they stay together and out of our shelter.
Applications for support from our Cat Protection Society Benevolent Fund will open from July 1st, 2024.
Donate online
Donate using your credit card or debit card.
Your tax-deductible receipt will be emailed to you once your donation is processed.
Donate by post
To make a cheque donation, please make the cheque out to The Cat Protection Society of Victoria and mail to:
The Cat Protection Society of Victoria
200 Elder Street, Greensborough
VIC 3088
And include a note with your return mail address or email address. Your tax invoice will subsequently be emailed or posted out.
Donate over the phone
Contact us on 03 8457 6500 to make a credit card payment over the phone between 10am-4pm Monday to Friday.
Your tax invoice will subsequently be emailed or posted out.