The six week old kitten had suffered irreparable
Taco the kitten
A little kitten that had its leg amputated after being found injured at the side of the road has found a new forever home.
Taco the kitten, who has now been renamed to Quark, was handed into an East Belfast vets when he was just six weeks old after being found seriously injured on the side of the road. It is not known how the cat suffered the injury, but it ended up having to have its front right leg amuptated due to the damage it had suffered.
Despite the trauma that he had been through, the kitten was still very friendly, happy and loving, with the vets knowing that he would make a great addition to someone’s home.
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After arriving at Cats Protection Northern Ireland Cat Centre, the kitten, Taco, received the urgent veterinary treatment he needed, as well as food, warmth and TLC from the centre’s team.
Centre Manager Andrew Doherty said: “Taco was in a bad way when he arrived, but we will sadly never know how he sustained his injuries. He had irreparable damage to his front right leg, which our vets found was due to a break in his brachial nerve.
“Due to the extent of his injuries, the difficult decision was made by our vets to amputate his leg, but ultimately this was the right decision for his welfare and his ability to live a normal life.
“Despite his ordeal, Taco was a friendly, happy and loving kitten. We knew he would be a fantastic addition to someone’s home.”
After two months of care from dedicated vets and the Northern Ireland Cat Centre team, Taco found his forever home with Rosa just before Christmas and was renamed Quark. He celebrated the new year with her and his new cat sibling, Kryten.
Quark’s new owner, Rosa, said: “Quark has settled in well and loving his new home.
“He and his new brother Kryten are firm friends already. Kryten is very gentle with him, and they follow each other from room to room, it’s so cute.”
Andrew added: “We’re thrilled Quark started the new year with his new family and delighted to hear how settled he is.
“We’d love to hear from anyone thinking about adopting a cat this year.”
Quark needed urgent veterinary attention, and the cost of his care exceeded £1,000. To continue their vital work supporting cats and kittens like Quark across Northern Ireland, Cats Protection have launched a JustGiving appeal. Read, support, or share Quark’s story here .
Visit www.cats.org.uk/northernireland to meet cats hoping to find their forever home in 2026 or call 02890 480 202 .
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