A nervous cat who returned to Battersea nearly five years after being adopted as a kitten has found her forever home after a remarkable transformation in foster care.
Duckling was born at Battersea and first rehomed in 2021, but returned to the charity's Old Windsor centre when her owners could no longer care for her. After years of living in a loving home, she found the return to cattery life overwhelming and struggled to settle in.
To give her the space she needed to rebuild her confidence, Battersea's feline experts decided Duckling would benefit from spending time on foster where she could settle at her own pace. But there was a long road ahead.
Emily King, Duckling’s foster carer, said: “When I first took Duckling on foster, she didn’t have much of an appetite and only came out at night when no one was around.
“But every day she got a little bit braver and more trusting. She let me stroke her for the first time around week five, and two months after she arrived, she was sitting on my lap enjoying a lot of fuss.”
Over the course of seven months, Duckling transformed from an anxious cat who only ventured out at night to an affectionate companion who actively sought out attention.
During their time together, Emily and Duckling celebrated multiple milestones, including Christmas and Duckling’s 5th birthday, complete with a cat-friendly birthday cake.
Thanks to the remarkable progress she made while on foster, Battersea was able to match her with a new owner.
Emily said: “It was bittersweet when Duckling was finally rehomed. She was my first foster cat, so it was very hard to say goodbye. But it was all worth it to see her find her perfect home.”
Duckling has settled brilliantly into her new home and is doted on by her new owner, who said: “Duckling is an absolute dream. I’ve been blown away with her progress over the last few months as she’s gone from running away and hiding as soon as she sees me, to cuddling and sleeping on the bed with me. She has stolen my heart and I’m truly grateful to have such a special cat in my life.”
Battersea is currently seeking foster carers across all three of its centres. If you are interested in fostering a rescue cat or dog like Duckling, please visit https://www.battersea.org.uk/support-us/fostering.
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For further information, interviews or images please contact the Battersea Press Office at press@battersea.org.uk.
Notes to Editors:
- At Battersea, we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.
- In 2025, Battersea directly cared for 1,989 dogs and 1,745 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through campaigning work, supporting other rescues and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
- In addition to the centre in South West London, Battersea also has two other centres based at Brands Hatch, Kent and in Old Windsor, Berkshire.
- To find out more, visit Battersea’s website or follow Battersea on Instagram @battersea or facebook.com/Battersea and TikTok @battersea .
