Phineas the Siamese cat was brought to the RSPCA's York animal centre at Landing Lane by an inspector.

Staff at the centre say he had been badly neglected and his needs were not getting met.

"He was undernourished and had been living in appalling conditions," a member of staff at the centre said.

Phineas, who is aged 4-5, has been left quite nervous because of the neglect he has suffered.

"He is very scared of people he does not know," the staff member said.

"It will take quite some time for him to learn to trust people again.

"He will need adopters who have lots of time, patience and a bucket load of TLC to help him gain his confidence back."

Staff say anyone adopting Phineas will need a spare room they can dedicate to him until he has settled in and regained his confidence.

"He has been through so much in his short life," the animal centre staff member said.

"We would love to see him happy and settled in a new home where he is loved and cherished just as he deserves to be."

Staff say that Phineas will need an adult only home, where he will be kept as a permanent house cat.

Due to the high volume of applications the RSPCA has been receiving about Phineas, they say that if you do apply to adopt him and do not hear back within two weeks, it means that in this case you have not been successful in your application.

The RSPCA York Animal Home is an independent animal shelter and relies upon the support and funding of local supporters to allow it to rehome hundreds of cats, dogs, small animals and wildlife each year.

To find out more, or to see what other animals are available for adoption, visit www.rspca-yorkhome.org.uk