WHEN BENJI WAS first rescued by the NSPCA, they knew it wouldn’t be long before someone came along to give this adorable little animal a forever home.

Allianz has been working with the NSPCA to support them in their mission to care for and rehabilitate rescued animals, as well as help as many animals as possible to find loving homes across Ireland. 

In this new series, Rescue Pets Rehomed sponsored by Allianz, we’ll be looking at the heartwarming stories of animals who have finally found a safe and loving environment after suffering hardships during their early life. 

When he came into the care of the NSPCA, Benji was suffering from tummy problems and eventually had one eye surgically removed as it was underdeveloped. Benji spent six months recovering in isolation, with only restricted staff allowed to be with him. While in isolation, he spent his days playing with cardboard boxes and getting up to all sorts of mischief. 

Sadhbh Milton, Animal Carer at the NSPCA explains ‘It was a long process, he was here for 161 days… When he went down to the cattery it was emotional for us. We weren’t sure if he would get to the adoption stage’.

However, after just a few days of being introduced to the cattery, Benji was taken in by a family of four, who had been keeping an eye on the NSPCA social media accounts and fell in love with his playful personality and his love of having a good time.  

When Amanda, Ciaran, Hugh and Hilda brought Benji home, they also gave him some time to himself before integrating him with their other pets (another cat and two dogs). 

Thanks to this measured approach, Benji’s introduction to life in his new home was relatively seamless. While he can still be nervous around people from time to time, he’s a happy cat who loves to play with his toys — especially a Whack-a-Mole style mouse game where toy mice appear for him to bat his paws at. 

As the family had recently lost another cat, Benji helped restore balance to their home. While it took a brief period for Benji to acclimate himself, once he got used to his new digs, there were no real teething problems when it came to making friends with his new pet siblings.

Now that he’s settled in, Benji is a cat that loves to get attention and cuddles from his humans. They feel Benji has filled a space in their family unit and completed their household. 

Owner, Ciaran O’Rourke talks about finding Benji:

‘Very quickly he was happy to be picked up and cuddled. He became a happy part of the family…Benji has brought a real sense of playfulness into the house here’.

Benji’s new owners have encouraged others to consider adopting a rescue animal, saying that it’s one of the best things that you can do. They spoke of their experience in receiving support from the NSPCA. Since the NSPCA is on the lookout for homes that will be a perfect fit for the animals in their care, they’ll make sure that no new owner ends up with something that they’re not actually ready for. 

Visit Allianz online today to learn about pet insurance for your own furry friend.