Who will win this year's "Feline Oscars"?
By Jayne Warren - 04/07/2008
For millions of the UK's cat lovers, the forthcoming Rescue Cat Awards 2008 on Friday 1st August will be as significant as the European Cup or Wimbledon. For what has been dubbed the "Feline Oscars", our little furry friends and their owners will be battling it out for one of the top titles in the playing-field of real-life survival, bravery, best friend and heroism.
Back for the fourth time, the Cats Protection’s Rescue Cat Awards, sponsored by Purina PetCare, were open to any living cat in the UK, rescued as a stray by owners, or adopted from any animal rescue organisation. They received hundreds of amazing stories - and here are the tales from some of this years' finalists:
Category: Most Incredible Story
Eight-month-old Lucky (photographed) lived up to his name when, as a feral kitten, he survived a three-day journey from France to England trapped under the bonnet of a car. In October 2007 he somehow got into the engine compartment of a car belonging to Alan and Audrey Plumpton shortly before they were about to drive the 280-mile journey from Brittany to Amersham. After arriving home, the Plumptons heard an animal crying and opened the bonnet to discover this little kitten! As well as paying for his six-month stay in quarantine, the Plumptons were only too happy to give little Lucky a home.
Category: Heroism
Two-year-old Speedy earned her place on the shortlist for being a true heroine to her owners, Joan Payne, and her 19-year-old daughter, Christine. Christine suffers from a range of conditions including progressive spinal ataxia and epilepsy, meaning she is housebound and prone to sudden seizures. Speedy senses when Christine is going to suffer a seizure and is quick to alert Joan and her husband. She then sits with Christine until she has recovered. Christine also has to spend a lot of time in bed, but Speedy is always there to keep her company.
Category: Ultimate Survivor
Felix became entangled in the blades of a combine harvester, leading to horrendous injuries. To save his life, his tail and one of his legs had to be amputated. After his return home, he became ill again and was found to have the feline form of tetanus, which led to him being given an injection that would save his life but would paralyse him. During the next two weeks Felix was recovering at the vets and trying desperately to walk on his three legs. To the delight of the staff, he got up one day and started tottering about again! Now safely back home with his owner Mandy Parsall, he is back to his lively self and racing around as ever!
Category: Best Friends
Struie and Meallie are two 10-year-old cats who were a great source of comfort and joy to Rhoda McVey’s parents in their final years of life. When Rhoda’s mother spent her last years in a hospital and care home, Rhoda would take Struie in to see her (with permission, of course!) and he always cheered her up by providing purrs and cuddles. After her mother died, both cats were a great help to Rhoda’s bereaved dad, accompanying him whenever he did his gardening, and curling up beside him whenever he took an afternoon nap. They were his best friends for many years until he too sadly passed away.
The glittering Awards ceremony will be held - rather appropriately - at the Pharaohs’ Palace Hospitality Suite, part of the prestigious Tutankhamun Exhibition in London’s O2 Arena.
The winning cat in the Best Friends category will be selected by none other than cat-loving celebrity athlete Sally Gunnell. Sally said: “I own three cats that had initially been found abandoned, and I feel lucky to have them because they have brought a lot of love, joy and comfort to myself and my family. I am looking forward to hearing more stories about how rescue cats have brightened up their owner's lives, and I hope the Rescue Cat Awards encourage more people to adopt rescue cats in the future.”
Other celebrities supporting the Awards include actress Prunella Scales, actor Brian Blessed and TV presenter Tim Vincent.
Founded as the Cats Protection League in 1927, the charity adopted the name Cats Protection in 1998. For more information about the work of Cats Protection visit the website linked below.