Mysterious Cause of Cat's Shockingly Big Nose Revealed a Year After He Was Rescued
A cat rescued in Northern Ireland is gaining a "global following" due to its unusually large nose
Rescue Cats NI described the ginger feline as a "big friendly teddy bear" as they shared a photo on Facebook
'It's a long road to recovery, about a year but this is progress in a couple of months,' the organization said of the treatment plan for his noseA rescue cat is gaining notoriety due to its unusually big nose.
Sharing a photo on Facebook of the feline named Barney Bubble on July 17, Rescue Cats Northern Ireland, reflected on the arrival of the large-nosed feline at their charitable organization back in July 2024.
In the snap, Barney's nose appears almost triple the size of a fellow cat named Boss.
'It's a hard life when you are a cat living at Rescue Cats NI,' the photo's caption read. 'You get to do nothing all day except snooze in comfy beds (don't be fooled by the yawn he'd been asleep for hours). You get food on demand.
'Our volunteers all love you and in Barney's case, you have a global following,' the caption continued.
Rescue Cats NI said the two cats 'formed a lovely bond' and are often found snuggling together. They described both as 'big friendly teddy bears' despite having previously been strays.
Barney was living unneutered and unchipped in Parkanaur Forest in Dungannon before a concerned local contacted the rescue organization.
Lynsey Jones from the Lisburn charity recently shared a video of him on social media as she encouraged people to donate money toward his ongoing vet bills.
'Barney is super friendly and we are wondering was he dumped as people couldn't afford or didn't want to treat him,' Jones wrote, per local outlet the Belfast News Letter. 'He is safe now and will receive vet care and whatever he needs and for however long he must stay with us.
'When we got back to the rescue he was so hungry and immediately scoffed his food,' she added. 'It's not affecting his appetite and his nostrils are free from this growth. Adorable big boy.'
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During an appearance on BBC Sounds, Lindsay of Rescue Cats NI revealed she was searching for two other cats that needed rescuing at the time she came across Barney.
She confessed to having initially laughed when she saw the feline's nose.
'It was nervous laughter and shock at the size of his nose because if you can imagine a clown's nose, that's exactly what it looks like,' Lindsay said, before adding that tests revealed that the growth wasn't cancerous.
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Back in June, Rescue Cats NI shared a photo of Barney on Facebook to show how much the size of his nose has reduced within a year of them taking him in.
They explained in the caption of the post that he had been receiving medication for 7 days on and 7 days off, as they believe he has the fungal infection Cryptococcus.
'It's a long road to recovery, about a year but this is progress in a couple of months,' the organization wrote in the caption of the post. 'The most placid big cat I think we have ever had.
'He had a wee nosy outside today for the first but straight back to the rescue. We all love him so much.xx,' they added.
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