A ginger cat from Ledbury who showed extraordinary loyalty and brought comfort and joy at a time of crisis has been named a finalist in Cats Protection National Cat Awards 2025.
Twenty-two-year-old Carrot beat hundreds of other entries to take her place alongside two other contenders in the Senior Cats category, showcasing why older cats aged 11 or over are special.
As a senior cat with only three remaining teeth, Carrot had given up hope of leaving the rescue centre, until Charlotte Warren (32) and her fiancé, Rob, offered to take home the ‘saddest cat’ that no one else wanted. Carrot has since repaid their loyalty, standing by them through all their life milestones – getting married, moving house, even moving into a caravan.
Owner Charlotte, a senior manager 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 go through to a public vote to find winners in four categories – Connected Cats, Family Cats, Incredible Cats and Senior Cats. Cat lovers can vote for their favourite finalist by visiting www.cats.org.uk/nca during the voting period from 16 June to 31 July.
Category winners and the overall National Cat of the Year – chosen by a panel of judges – will be announced during a ceremony hosted by writer and presenter Dawn O’Porter in London on 24 September.
“The National Cat Awards celebrates the nation’s cats and the extraordinary impact they have on people’s lives,” said Jeff Knott, Advocacy & Influence Director at Cats Protection. “This year’s finalists have shown incredible intuition, empathy and compassion. We can’t wait to reveal the winners – and it’s now up to the public to decide.”
Category winners will each win a prize package of a trophy, a £200 pet store voucher and a year’s subscription to Cats Protection’s The Cat magazine with the National Cat of the Year also receiving an overall winner trophy.
This year’s overall winner will inherit the title from Marley who was named National Cat of the Year 2024 in recognition of the work he has done to comfort women who have been enslaved, exploited and trafficked at Caritas Bakhita House in London.
