An intuitive pet who became a hearing cat for his owner despite having no formal training has been named National Cat of the Year 2023.
Zebby beat thousands of other entries to be named overall winner in the nation’s biggest celebration of cats, organised by Cats Protection and held at Wilton’s Music Hall in London on July 17.
Zebby was honoured in recognition of how he supports his deaf owner Genevieve Moss, 66, by alerting her to sounds around the home.
Genevieve, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, said: ‘I am so proud of Zebby for showing the world how intuitive and caring cats can be, and what a positive effect they can have on people’s lives.
‘I can’t imagine life without Zebby and I’m over the moon that he’s been honoured in the National Cat Awards.
‘Living on my own and being deaf means life could be lonely, but not with Zebby around – he’s my hero.’
When Genevieve isn’t wearing a hearing aid, she ‘can’t hear anything,’ so her pet’s help is invaluable.
‘He’ll come and tap me when the phone is ringing, and then I can pop my hearing aid and speaker on and take the call,’ she explained.
‘In the night, if there’s an unusual noise he will bat me on my head to wake me up and let me know, and if someone is at the door, he’ll pace about in front of me until I get the message.’
As well as alerting his owner to sounds, Zebby supports Genevieve in a number of other ways.
She explained: ‘He is very helpful and likes to bring me things – he’ll get the post from the doormat and pick it up in his mouth before dropping it in the bedroom.
‘He even brings me my slippers if he finds them somewhere other than my feet!’
Genevieve describes her beloved pet as ‘very special,’ saying she’s ‘never known a cat quite like him.’
‘He loves to be around me – wherever I am, he’s not far behind,’ she added.
We’ve got a very close bond and I wouldn’t want to cope without him.’
To reach the final four cats in the National Cat Awards, Zebby first won the Family Fur-ever category – which celebrates cats that make a family complete – in a public vote.
He was then selected as overall National Cat of the Year by a panel of celebrities and expert vets including Dr Scott Miller, Dr Fabian Rivers, Dr Rory Cowlam, Dr Bolu Eso, Frankie Seaman, David Seaman MBE, and Cats Protection’s Director of Feline Welfare Maggie Roberts.
As overall winner, Zebby won a trophy and prize package, which included a £200 pet store voucher.
He follows in the paw prints of last year’s winners Jasper and Willow, who took top spot in recognition of the role they play at St Peter and St James Hospice in Haywards Heath, Sussex.
Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards organiser Ashley Fryer commented: ‘From the moment we read his entry form, we knew Zebby was something special.
‘Zebby is clearly devoted to Genevieve, and their story highlights the powerful bond that exists between people and their cats. He’s a shining example of the joy and comfort a cat can bring.’
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