Charity hunting new home for terminally ill cat dumped at pound

When the Southern Downs animal charity took on Coconut, they knew she didn’t have a lot of time left, but carers are going the extra mile to make every day count.

Coconut the cat (Photo: Southern Downs ARK)

A Warwick animal shelter is racing against the clock to find a warm and comfortable home where an ailing senior cat with terminal illness can live out her final months in tranquillity.

Coconut the cat has been diagnosed with terminal skin cancer and is currently in the care of Southern Downs ARK, with the team searching desperately for a new home for the feline.

ARK sales and promotion manager Kate Keefe said Coconut was recently handed into the Warwick pound before moving on to the animal rescue charity.

“We think she’s around 10 or 11 years old,” Mrs Keefe said.

“She’s a sweet girl, but she’s not going to recover from her illness.”

Mrs Keefe said while they did not judge the reasons why an animal was surrendered, it is believed Coconut may have been taken to the pound when her original owners learnt the severity of her illness.

While skin cancer in pink-nosed white cats was not uncommon, Mrs Keefe said early treatment of the cancer would have been fairly straightforward.

“It would have saved her life, but she’s too far gone,” Mrs Keefe said.

“If Coconut was to undergo treatment, she wouldn’t be able to get it on the Southern Downs, she’d have to travel to Brisbane.

“It would involve quite radical surgery, including on her nose, and there’s no guarantee that the cancer hasn’t spread to the rest of her body.

“It goes beyond what we think is reasonable for an animal to endure.”

Mrs Keefe said for now it was just about giving Coconut some love, affection and a place in the sun.

ARK had been inundated with cats with the charity running at capacity.

A bumper kitten season paired with low adoption and foster rates were making things difficult, Mrs Keefe said.

“We pay for the food, bedding and veterinary care for foster animals,” she said.

If you would like to help Coconut, or are interested in fostering or adopting an animal or making a donation, head to their website.