ONE fortunate feline is looking for a new home after surviving surgery to extract a whole rat.

Stray cat Rosie turned up at a home in Strensall, York, with a hard and severely swollen stomach earlier this month.

The homeowner called the RSPCA and she was assessed by a vet at Battle Flatts Veterinary Clinic who found her in much discomfort.

They were forced to operate on the moggy after they found the blockage to be caused by an undigested rat.

When RSPCA animal collection officer Leanne Honess-Heather scanned the cat, it appeared she was microchipped.

Rosie’s owner later revealed she had not got on with her other cat and refused to return home.

Ms Honess-Heather said: "Rosie the cat had turned up on the caller’s doorstep soaked through and looking for shelter.

"When I scanned the cat for a microchip I was able to track down her owners and tell them what had happened.

"They explained that nine-year-old Rosie had run away five months earlier after being with them since she was a kitten."

After the operation, the owners decided to re-home Rosie as they feared she would run away again if she returned home.

Ms Honess-Heather added: "I spoke with the York branch of the RSPCA, who agreed to take Rosie in to their care and pay for the operation to be carried out.

"Thanks to their wonderful generosity and the fantastic skills of vet Ian Faux, Rosie is on the way to making a full recovery and will soon be available for adoption.”

To re-home an animal visit www.rspca-yorkhome.org.uk