King Arthur’s royal return — How a downtrodden cat went from rags to riches.

King Arthur struggled to stand. His leg was broken in two places, with multiple pieces of bones out of place. Every step the poor cat took was agony.

In desperate need of treatment, he was rushed by animal ambulance to RSPCA’s Lonsdale Shelter.

After a quick inspection, the vet team decided that King Arthur would be best treated at the Seaton Veterinary Clinic. The operating surgeon inserted a metal plate into his feline patient’s leg to bring the badly broken bones back into alignment. It was an intricate procedure, with an outstanding result.

The King’s lionhearted recovery

Post surgery, King Arthur was soon on the mend. Our staff and volunteers were taken aback by the cat’s fighting spirit.

He quickly became a favourite resident at Lonsdale, and once fully recovered he was up for adoption.

Of course, being royalty, Arthur’s adoption was a little out of the ordinary. This handsome regal puss joined other felines seeking homes one weekend in March 2021 at an RSPCA pop-up-store in Harbour Town, at West Beach.

Among the shoppers that weekend was Melanie, who was visiting the outlet precinct in search of a pair of shoes when an impromptu visit to the pop-up store changed her plans for the day.

“We were not looking to buy a cat at all. I was with my partner and his teenage son and we popped into the RSPCA pop-up-store just to have a look,” Melanie recalled.

“When I saw King Arthur, I was stopped in my tracks. Such a striking-looking cat, it was almost love at first sight.”

A family fit for a King

Melanie has owned cats in the past, but this was the first time she had adopted one from RSPCA. On that first day together, King’s gorgeous personality was already melting his new mum’s heart.

“He was very calm and happy to be stroked all the way home in the car,” said Melanie.

“He spent a couple of days feeling his way around the house and getting to know us, was receptive to affection and has since taken over the house and demands attention and affection regularly, vocally and physically.”

Living his best life

It didn’t take long for King Arthur to make himself at home and become a member of the family. From luxuriously sprawling on the couch to perching on the shoulders of anyone who sits still long enough, this congenial, mature-aged moggie has been making up for lost time.

“He is very happy here and has become a very important member of the family,” said Melanie.

“We all love him dearly, which is reciprocated.”

King Arthur and his forever castle

For all this cat has been through, he definitely deserved to find a new family who appreciated him and the affection he has to offer.

All the animals at RSPCA South Australia have unique stories of survival, and all are looking for homes as loving as the one King Arthur has found.

If you’re considering opening your heart and home to a rescued animal, head over here to see all our animals currently available for adoption.