Zebby The Cat Wins 'Cat Of The Year' At The 2023 National Cat Awards

July 20, 2023

A cat who helps his deaf owner by alerting her to sounds around the house has been voted "National Cat of the Year".

Zebby, a two-year-old black-and-white cat from Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, was named Cats Protection's National Cat of the Year at the 2023 National Cat Awards.

Zebby's owner, 66-year-old Genevieve Moss, says she cannot hear anything without her hearing aids.

"But now I have Zebby to help me," she told BBC.

"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.

"In the night, if there's an unusual noise, he will bat me on my head to wake me up and let me know. If someone is at the door, he'll pace about in front of me until I get the message.

"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.

"Zebby is very special, I've never known a cat quite like him."

Zebby was one of 12 finalists in the National Cat Awards, which was held on 17 July in London. The annual awards are run by the charity Cats Protection - the UK's largest cat welfare charity.

"From the moment we read his entry form, we knew Zebby was something special," National Cat Awards organizer Ashley Fryer said.

"Zebby is clearly devoted to Genevieve, and their story highlights the powerful bond that exists between people and their cats."

The coveted #CatOfTheYear award for the #NationalCatAwards 2023 goes to…
Zebby!
🐱🏆
An incredible example of the amazing bond between cats and their owners and the unbelievable impact our feline family members have on our lives. pic.twitter.com/RRP5EaJRng
— Cats Protection (@CatsProtection) July 17, 2023