WHEN 10-year-old Joey arrived at a Stretford animal charity, his stomach was so swollen that he was mistaken for a pregnant female cat.

The tom was discovered in the back of a van on a cold New Year’s Eve night in Bolton, but after recuperating at the Society for Abandoned Animals in Mosley Acre Farm, he’s found a new loving home after a social media appeal.

Natasha Woest, manager at the Society for Abandoned Animals, said: “After arriving at the SAA weak, underweight, hungry and soiled, Joey was given a bath and allowed to settle down with nice meal and comfortable bed.

“The same day, he underwent a full health check only to discover that his ‘pregnant’ stomach was actually gas, meaning ‘she’ was actually a ‘he’.

“Due to his health condition, we looked after Joey for over a month to ensure he received the correct medication, a proper diet and, of course, lots of love.”

Turning to Twitter, the SAA shared pictures of Joey’s arrival and story, which instantly received a flood of well wishes.

The day Joey was made available for adoption, Timperley resident Deborah Robertson, 44, immediately made contact with the charity to register her interest.

Deborah, said: “We had been following Joey’s journey on Twitter ever since he came to the SAA and instantly fell in love with him. Because we had been following him from the start, we already felt like we knew him before we met in person.

“We had adopted our other cat, Smudge, from the SAA some time ago and decided it was time for him to have a friend - so Joey was the perfect addition to our family.”

The SAA rehabilitates and re-homes more than 200 sick, injured and abandoned cats each year.

Natasha added: “We are delighted that Joey was able to find a home so quickly, all thanks to Twitter.

“Joey is a cat we thought we would struggle to re-home due to his condition but social media proved us wrong. We have many animals in our care that are on long term medication or have medical conditions and are overlooked.

For more, call SAA on 0161 973 5318, see saarescue.co.uk or visit Mosley Acre Farm, Stretford, Manchester M32 9UP.