Who is top cat?
Every two years, Cats Protection celebrates the country’s most courageous kitties and miraculous moggies with its National Cat Awards – culminating in the announcement of the National Cat of the Year. With the next ceremony scheduled for this summer, the search is once again on for the UK ’s finest feline.
‘It used to be called the Rescue Cat Awards, then we decided to change it to honour all living cats,’ says Louise Waters from Cats Protection. ‘It’s a way to celebrate cats and the amazing things they do. You read a lot about dogs, but not always about cats. A lot of people think they aren’t as interesting – this is our way of showing they can be and they really make a difference to people’s lives.’
The charity decided to start the competition after hearing many heart-warming tales. ‘We kept hearing these stories about things cats had done and we wanted to hear more, so the competition is a great way for people to share their stories.’
So why does Louise think people should enter? ‘I think people love to celebrate their animals,’ she says. ‘Cats are members of the family and owners like to give them some recognition, especially if they’ve done something amazing.’
Though the contest is now open to all felines, there is still a focus on rescue cats. ‘We really like to promote how people see them and how much they can bring to people’s lives. We want to promote the benefits of adopting a cat and celebrate the unique bond between cats and humans.
‘It’s also a fun day out for the owners. If they make the final, they get to come to the Savoy and have a nice lunch and get to talk to lots of other lovely cat owners.’
So how does Cats Protection pick the finalists and the overall winner? ‘That’s the hard bit!’ says Louise. ‘We select a cross section of people from within the charity, people from our operational departments and vets so we get a fully rounded view of what the best stories are.’
She shares some of her favourites from the last competition. ‘Mr Chips was found as a stray with a badly broken leg, so he had a disability and spent a long time in the rescue centre. He was adopted by a man called Ian Turner with a complex medical condition that left him feeling suicidal. He basically credits Mr Chips with helping him through his times of despair; he said having this cat, who also had a disability, struggled to cope and had a difficult life, kept him going.’
Then there’s Milly Moos. ‘She belonged to a family who had a three-year-old boy who was very anxious. When he started preschool he didn’t like going and always got really worked up. The cat started coming along with his mum and walked him there and back, and it made all the difference. It was really sweet. When we read the story we thought it sounded unlikely, but when we had photos taken we saw it was true; we got videos of the cat trotting along.’
What advice does Louise have for anyone inspired by the competition to get their own cat? ‘We always try to match the right cat to the right home, so it’s really important to think about what kind of cat you want. We’ve got 5,000 to 6,000 cats that need homing at any one time, so there are plenty out there. A lot of people rush into getting a kitten, but people need to remember they grow up, and sometimes it’s better to get a cat with an established personality that’s going to fit in with your lifestyle.’
‘He adopted us, really. He was thrown into the dock as a kitten and a fisherman saved him, then he lived on the docks in a fisherman’s cabin for 15 years. Somehow he lost an eye during that time.
‘We found him when we were walking around the docks, and we started to go and feed him and look after him. In 2009, it was a really bad winter, and he followed us to the car one night and refused to leave. So we took him home and he lived with us happily.
‘He was diagnosed with an inoperable heart tumour in January 2014. He wasn’t expected to survive, but he bounced back; he still had the tumour, but he just lived with it. He was a fighter.
‘A lady at the vet’s told me about the competition. I thought a lot about it and then one night I decided to do it.
‘There were so many nice stories, we were surprised when he won the overall award. Looking back, we shouldn’t have been that amazed.’
To enter call Cats Protection on 0300-012 1212, or click here
The closing date is 29 April. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Savoy hotel on 4 August.
‘It used to be called the Rescue Cat Awards, then we decided to change it to honour all living cats,’ says Louise Waters from Cats Protection. ‘It’s a way to celebrate cats and the amazing things they do. You read a lot about dogs, but not always about cats. A lot of people think they aren’t as interesting – this is our way of showing they can be and they really make a difference to people’s lives.’
The charity decided to start the competition after hearing many heart-warming tales. ‘We kept hearing these stories about things cats had done and we wanted to hear more, so the competition is a great way for people to share their stories.’
So why does Louise think people should enter? ‘I think people love to celebrate their animals,’ she says. ‘Cats are members of the family and owners like to give them some recognition, especially if they’ve done something amazing.’
Though the contest is now open to all felines, there is still a focus on rescue cats. ‘We really like to promote how people see them and how much they can bring to people’s lives. We want to promote the benefits of adopting a cat and celebrate the unique bond between cats and humans.
‘It’s also a fun day out for the owners. If they make the final, they get to come to the Savoy and have a nice lunch and get to talk to lots of other lovely cat owners.’
So how does Cats Protection pick the finalists and the overall winner? ‘That’s the hard bit!’ says Louise. ‘We select a cross section of people from within the charity, people from our operational departments and vets so we get a fully rounded view of what the best stories are.’
She shares some of her favourites from the last competition. ‘Mr Chips was found as a stray with a badly broken leg, so he had a disability and spent a long time in the rescue centre. He was adopted by a man called Ian Turner with a complex medical condition that left him feeling suicidal. He basically credits Mr Chips with helping him through his times of despair; he said having this cat, who also had a disability, struggled to cope and had a difficult life, kept him going.’
Then there’s Milly Moos. ‘She belonged to a family who had a three-year-old boy who was very anxious. When he started preschool he didn’t like going and always got really worked up. The cat started coming along with his mum and walked him there and back, and it made all the difference. It was really sweet. When we read the story we thought it sounded unlikely, but when we had photos taken we saw it was true; we got videos of the cat trotting along.’
What advice does Louise have for anyone inspired by the competition to get their own cat? ‘We always try to match the right cat to the right home, so it’s really important to think about what kind of cat you want. We’ve got 5,000 to 6,000 cats that need homing at any one time, so there are plenty out there. A lot of people rush into getting a kitten, but people need to remember they grow up, and sometimes it’s better to get a cat with an established personality that’s going to fit in with your lifestyle.’
NELSON, THE ONE-EYED HERO…
Nelson, a one-eyed former stray from Seaton, County Durham, who survived near-drowning and 15 years living rough, was named National Cat of the Year in 2014. Sadly, he has since passed away, but his owner Andrea Huntley-Crow told me a bit about the plucky puss.‘He adopted us, really. He was thrown into the dock as a kitten and a fisherman saved him, then he lived on the docks in a fisherman’s cabin for 15 years. Somehow he lost an eye during that time.
‘We found him when we were walking around the docks, and we started to go and feed him and look after him. In 2009, it was a really bad winter, and he followed us to the car one night and refused to leave. So we took him home and he lived with us happily.
‘He was diagnosed with an inoperable heart tumour in January 2014. He wasn’t expected to survive, but he bounced back; he still had the tumour, but he just lived with it. He was a fighter.
‘A lady at the vet’s told me about the competition. I thought a lot about it and then one night I decided to do it.
‘There were so many nice stories, we were surprised when he won the overall award. Looking back, we shouldn’t have been that amazed.’
From Outstanding Rescue Cat to Most Caring, which one is yours…
You can nominate your cat in one of five categories: Hero Cat, Most Caring Cat, Furr-ever Friends, Outstanding Rescue Cat and Purina® Better Together (celebrating the special bond between a feline and a human).To enter call Cats Protection on 0300-012 1212, or click here
The closing date is 29 April. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Savoy hotel on 4 August.