A ginger cat from Herefordshire that showed “extraordinary loyalty” could be named as the ‘National Cat of the Year’.
22-year-old Carrot has beaten hundreds of other entries in the Cats Protection National Cat Awards, now alongside just two other contenders in the Senior Cats category.
As a senior cat with only three remaining teeth, Carrot had “given up hope” of leaving the rescue centre, until Charlotte Warren and her fiancé, Rob, offered to take home the “saddest cat” that “not one else wanted”.
Carrot has since repaid their loyalty, standing by them through all their life milestones, including getting married, moving house, and even moving into a caravan.
Miss Warren, a senior manager at a training and development consultancy, said: “We thought we’d only be in the caravan a couple of weeks but it turned into a seven-month stint while we were waiting to move into our new house.
“It was really tough because the caravan was tiny, we had no hot water, toilet or cooking facilities and Carrot stuck with us through the entire thing.
“There were days when it was utterly miserable, chucking down with rain and we’d come home and find her happy little face greeting us at the door.
“She didn’t wander off and kept us entertained jumping out of the window, running around the caravan and jumping back in again, despite her age.
“Then, in summer, the three of us would sit outside and have dinner on sun loungers. Carrot is feisty and speaks her mind but she’s so loving.
“If I could be an advocate for adopting older cats, I would, she has brought us so much joy.”
Carrot will now proceed to a public vote to determine winners in four categories, including Connected Cats, Family Cats, Incredible Cats, and Senior Cats.
Category winners and the overall National Cat of the Year, which is chosen by a panel of judges, will be announced during a ceremony hosted by writer and presenter Dawn O’Porter in London on September 24.
