CAT owners have less than a month left to nominate their furry friends in Cats Protection’s prestigious National Cat Awards.

From cats which provide support to children, to marvellous moggies that saved the day in an emergency, the awards celebrate the joy cats bring to people’s lives.

Owners have until 12pm on March 8 to nominate their cat in 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 August 8 – coinciding with International Cat Day.

Kate Bunting, Cats Protection’s Awards organiser said: “Cats are fantastic pets and bring a huge amount of fun, companionship and support to the people they live with.

“Every year, we hear stories of how inspirational cats can be – from surviving against the odds to helping their owners cope with loss or sadness. There’s now less than a month to go until entries close, so we’re hoping to hear lots more stories of how cats have made a positive difference to people’s lives.”

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.

Theo followed in the paw prints of a long line of feline heroes honoured by Cats Protection.

They include Genie, who helped schoolgirl Evie Henderson battle bone cancer; Tink, who saved her owners from a house fire, and Jessi-Cat, who was celebrated for helping a seven-year-old boy cope with Selective Mutism.

For more details email nationalcatawards@cats.org.uk, call 03000 12 12 12 or to nominate your cat visit cats.org.uk/national-cat-awards