Cats Protection has announced the finalists in its National Cat Awards 2023, which recognise the bond between cats and people.
There are three finalists in each of the four award categories; Cat Colleagues, Family Fur-ever, Moggy Marvels, and Social Star.
The finalists include:
- Smokey, who lives at a centre for adults with learning disabilities, where she helps everyone relax and feel at home
- Zebby, a self-taught hearing cat who helps his owner around the home
- Dali, who was reunited with her owners after being stranded on a tiny island of rocks for a month
- Calliope, who brings joy to her thousands of social media followers
Voting is now open and the public have until 30 June to choose their favourite in each category. The overall winner will be selected by a panel of judges.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony being held at Wilton’s Music Hall in London on 17 July, hosted by author and tv presenter Dawn O’Porter.
Ms O’Porter said: “As a confirmed cat lady I am so excited to be hosting this year’s National Cat Awards and to help Cats Protection raise awareness of the amazing bond we have with our feline friends. I’m really looking forward to hearing all the amazing stories of the nominees.”
Cats Protection’s awards organiser Ashley Fryer, said: “The National Cat Awards is all about celebrating the nation’s love of cats and this year we’ve got some truly extraordinary nominees. Cats can have a huge impact on wellbeing and mental health and it’s clear that each of our finalists brings something really special to their owners. We’ve whittled down nearly 3,000 entries to just twelve remarkable felines and we can’t wait to see who the public chooses as their winners.
“We are thrilled to pay tribute to some of the nation’s most marvellous moggies and hope their stories will help more people understand why cats are such amazing pets.”
Details of all the finalists and how to vote can be found on Cats Protection’s website.
Image (C) Cats Protection
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
