AN ABUSED cat dumped in the grounds of a Thornhill Lees community centre has a new home thanks to ThePress.

The cat, now named Lucky, is with an elderly man in the Wakefield area who saw last week’s story about the abandoned moggy.

Thornhill Lees Village Hall secretary Iris Bettney put a clipping of our story on the Lees Hall Road venue’s notice board.

She and partner Terry Goodall spent the previous two weeks nursing the cat back to health after it was thrown into the village hall’s garden. The young male tabby was emaciated, showed signs of physical abuse and was so frightened that at first he hid under bushes.  

His new owner, who does not want to be named but is a Village Hall regular, saw The Press’s story on the notice board last Friday.

He is believed to live alone in sheltered accommodation and wanted some company. He also gave the cat its new name.

Delighted Iris said: “The cat’s been named Lucky because of what he’s been through and also his new owner feels lucky to have found him. He certainly seems to have landed on all four paws. On his first night he curled up in front of the fire as if he’d always belonged there!”

Other people, including an older couple who went to the village hall specially on Sunday, also tried to adopt the cat.

Iris hopes those who missed out try catteries or cat rescue centres if they still want to adopt an abandoned pet. 

She added: “We’d like to thank all those who came. He’s found a good home and it’s nice that a story has a happy ending for a change.”