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The winners
The overall winner of this year’s Rescue Cat Awards is Speedy, a tabby cat from Suffolk, who provides constant companionship to her owner.
Speedy story and those of the other fantastic felines that amazed the judges are shown below (click on the cat’s name for more information):
Category Winner - Hero Cat
Photo: UNP
Cat's name: Speedy
Owner: Christine Payne
Two-year-old Speedy was given the award for the constant companionship she provides to her owner, Christine Payne, who suffers with a range of conditions including progressive spinal ataxia, epilepsy and severe learning difficulties.
Faithful Speedy stays by Christine’s side at all times, helping to relieve some of her owner’s extreme loneliness. Speedy also senses Christine’s seizures and is quick to alert Christine’s parents. Speedy’s love, compassion and deep appreciation of Christine's difficulties is truly astonishing and this is why she has been named Rescue Cat of the Year 2008.
Watch their story on Youtube here...
View the other finalists in the Hero Cat category
Category Winner - Best Friend
Photo: UNP
Cat's Name: Kizzy
Owner: Anna Levermore
Six-year-old cat, Kizzy, scooped the Best Friends title due to the companionship she provides to her owner, Anna Levermore.
Anna was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome when she was seven years old. It is a form of autism that affects sufferers’ ability to form friendships with other people. Anna adopted Kizzy as a kitten and says that her tortoiseshell companion has had a massive impact on her life, providing a great source of love and support.
Watch their story on Youtube here...
View the other finalists in the Best Friends category
Category Winner - Most Incredible Story
Photo: UNP
Cat's Name: Tabitha
Owner: Jessie Sculpher
Eight-year-old cat, Tabitha, made the shortlist after surviving an incredible 44 days trapped in the hardboard surround of a bathroom cupboard.
Owner, Jessie Sculpher, had adopted Tabitha only three days before she went missing and made every effort to find her – sadly to no avail. Six weeks later, she was woken by noises from the bathroom. She opened the cupboard and was amazed to see Tabitha’s legs emerging from underneath the hardboard. Despite being severely dehydrated, Tabitha pulled through and is back to her usual self. Tabitha was chosen as the winner by the readers of The People's Take It Easy Magazine.
View the other finalists in the Most Incredible Story category
Category Winner - Ultimate Survivor
Photo: UNP
Cat's Name: Felix
Owner: Mandy Parsall
Ulimate survivor, Felix cheated death not once, but twice following a horrific accident with a combine harvester near his home in Brentwood.
Owner, Mandy Parsall, adopted the resilient Felix as a kitten. After being caught in the blades of a combine harvester, he had to have his tail and a leg amputated. Then, while he was beginning to adapt to life on three legs, he contracted tetanus which almost killed him. Despite his injury, Felix overcame the odds to remain a happy and healthy cat.
Watch their story on Youtube here...
View the other finalists in the Ultimate Survivor category
The Special Award Winner
Photo: UNP
Photo: UNP
Cat's Name: Struie and Meallie
Owner: Rhoda McVey
The Special Award was created to honour the rescue cat – or cats – not selected as a category winner, that had made an extra special contribution to their owner. Inverness duo Struie and Meallie earned the award due to the companionship that they gave to the parents of owner, Rhoda McVey.
Rhoda adopted Struie and Meallie almost a decade ago and, when the family moved from Glasgow to Inverness to care for her parents, the cats played their part too. When her mother went into a care home, Rhoda was allowed to take Struie to visit her. Following her mother’s death, both cats were a source of great comfort to her grieving father until his death earlier this year. The love and support they gave to both of Rhoda’s parents heartened all three people greatly, and they are a fine example of how rescue cats can enhance the quality of human life.
Watch Struie and Meallie's story on Youtube here...
Cats Protection's Rescue Cat Awards 2008 is sponsored by Purina PetCare. |
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