A CAT who has proved himself the purr-fect companion to his Leamington owner has received national recognition.
Archie is a finalist in Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards 2022. He beat hundreds of other entries to take his place as one of three contenders in the Most Caring Cat category, celebrating cats that positively impact a person’s health or wellbeing.
The ten-year-old puss was selected in recognition of the support he gives to owner Maddy Warren, who has been on dialysis for 23 years after developing kidney failure aged 14.
The treatment means Maddy needs to connect herself to a home dialysis machine five times a week, during which she’s unable to move more than a few steps away for up to seven hours.
Maddy said: “I’m very positive about my dialysis and feel lucky that it keeps me alive, but there’s no denying it is a burden too. Having Archie around makes it so much better for me – he’ll cuddle up close to me and arrange himself around the blood tubes connected to the needles.
“I do my dialysis at night and even though the machine is noisy and often sounds various alarms and bleeps, he chooses to stay with me throughout. It’s a comfort to not be alone, and he somehow manages to balance being incredibly funny with bringing a sense of calm. It’s just what I need during those long hours.
Maddy now faces a nail-biting wait until August 4 when the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Savoy Hotel.
If Archie wins his category, he will also be in with a chance of being crowned National Cat of the Year, following in the paw prints of previous winner Minty, a three-legged cat from Wales, who helped a six-year-old cope with severe learning difficulties and medical conditions.
Cats Protection’s awards organiser Kate Bunting said: “It’s wonderful to hear how Archie fits perfectly into Maddy’s life and how unfazed he is by her dialysis treatment. Their story really highlights the hugely beneficial effect cats can have on the lives of their owners, in all sorts of ways.”
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.
The winner of National Cat of the Year will also receive an additional winning trophy.
