Best Friends

Name of cat:Chrissie

Name of owner: Gay Hadley

I would like to nominate my best friend Chrissie for this Award. She was abandoned in Stafford town centre on Christmas Eve 2002 and not only was there "no room for her at the inn", there was none at any of the local cat rescue centres either.

A very kind lady from Penn Animal Welfare Society eventually rescued her and gave her a temporary home.

We invited Chrissie to join our family as a companion for my Grandma who was housebound. The two of them soon struck up a very special bond and when Grandma had to go into hospital Chrissie was given permission to go and visit her on the ward to cheer her up.

When Grandma had her final stroke, Chrissie stayed on her bed comforting her throughout her final days. Even though Grandma couldn't talk and must have been very frightened, she managed to stroke Chrissie and it made her smile.

Chrissie now lives with me and having seen how good she was with Grandma, I persuaded her to become a registered PAT (Pets as Therapy) cat. So now she comes with me to visit a children's ward at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley.

The children just lover her and when she snuggles up to them on the bed one look at their faces tells me they are feeling better straight away.

Chrissie has a great capacity for making you feel loved and I am very proud to nominate her for this Award.

Best Personality

Name of cat: Biscuit

Name of owner: Rosalyn Young

Biscuit was unwanted - passed from one to another and then back in 2001. She didn't even have a name - the reason? She was 'too friendly!'

I had to go fetch her, so drove up to North Yorkshire for a cat with no name and no details. Not waiting to get comfy, or have a soft bed, she put herself in our carry box, curled up, purring, to sleep all 200 miles to ours on the hard plastic.

And she has carried on - nuzzling people, our dogs, other dogs, our other cat, purring loudly. She falls over backwards in her efforts to love you. She loves life - explores, follows us up the road, 'inspects' neighbours houses.

A minxier, friendlier, happier cat I have not met - everyone wants to take her home. The vet loves her as she is not a naughty Tortie! She used to undress and leave her collars on bushes, making the tag engravers laugh.

Everyone knows Biscuit!

Photo Credit:
Dwayne Belnavis, 13, with an entrant for Cats Protection's Rescue Cat of the Year, Chrissie, a PAT (Pets as Therapy) cat at Russells Hall Hospital (in Dudley, West Mids), and Chrissie's owner, Gay Hadley, used with permission; furnished by Newstream.com.

Produced for Cats Protection

Contacts:

Sarah Chappell
+44 20 7554 2739

Sarah Zebaida
+44 20 7554 2761

Deborah Keyser
+44 20 7554 2731