Chichester cat named a finalist in National Cat Awards 2022

Marley beat hundreds of other entries to take his place in the ‘Cat Colleagues’ category, celebrating cats who bring joy to the workplace or make working from home a pleasure.

The ten-year-old moggy was selected as a finalist in recognition of the positive impact he has on life at the Apuldram Centre, where he spends his days attending staff meetings, spending time with clients and chasing birds off the vegetable patch.

Activity support worker Richard Manning said: “We have lots of activities for people who come to the day centre, such as arts and crafts, gardening and dance – and Marley gets stuck into all of them.

"He loves to be around people, so on a typical day he’ll try and get round to see as many clients as possible and get involved in all the activities.

“Our clients love to see Marley and they always go away happy after spending some time with him. He makes them laugh with his funny antics, but also has a calming effect if people are having a bad day.

“He’s very popular with the staff too, always helping with whatever is going on.”

The winner of the Cat Colleagues category will be chosen in a public vote. If Marley wins, he will also be in with a chance of being crowned National Cat of the Year.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Savoy Hotel, an event attended by celebrities including entrepreneur Deborah Meaden, Lioness Ellen White, and actress Gaynor Faye.

Awards organiser Kate Bunting said: “Marley has such a big personality and clearly brings a huge amount of joy to everyone he meets.

"His story highlights the positive effect cats can bring to people’s lives, just by being themselves.”

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 overall winning trophy.

Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards is an annual celebration of the real-life stories of heroism, loyalty and companionship in the feline world.

For more information, and to cast your vote between June 10 – 13, visit: www.cats.org.uk/support-us/events/nca/cat-colleagues

To find out more about the Apuldram Centre, visit: www.apuldram.org/