Cats Protection is asking cat owners in Scotland to nominate their furry friends in this year’s National Cat Awards.

For over a decade, the Awards have celebrated the difference cats make to owners’ lives by highlighting heart-warming stories of devotion, companionship and courage.

The overall winner will inherit the title of National Cat of the Year from Theo, who helped his owner Charlotte Dixon survive a potentially fatal blood clot.

Charlotte Dixon and Theo

Cats do not need to have been adopted from Cats Protection to be nominated for an award and owners have from 15th January until noon on Friday 8th March to enter one of five categories:

•               Hero Cat – Cats that save the day

•               Most Caring Cat – Cats that positively impact a person’s health or wellbeing

•               Furr-ever Friends – Tales of friendship between children and cats

•               Outstanding Rescue Cat – Fabulous felines adopted from animal charities

•               PURINA® Better Together – Celebrating the special bond that has transformed and enriched the lives of both a feline and human

The National Cat Awards is sponsored by PURINA® and a panel of celebrity cat-lovers will select the winners. The winning cats’ owners will then be presented with their trophies at a star-studded ceremony at London’s Savoy Hotel on Thursday 8 August – coinciding with International Cat Day.

Kate Bunting, Cats Protection’s Awards organiser said:

“This event is the highlight of the feline calendar and gives us the chance to celebrate everything we love about cats.

“Every year, the entries we receive go to show why cats make such great pets – whether it’s for helping their owners through times of sadness or loss, heroic moggies who come to the rescue or brave felines who survive against the odds.”

 Anyone wishing to nominate their cat should visit www.cats.org.uk/national-cat-awards