Stray cat adopted by local school helps calm kids taking exams

An Atherstone home-schooled feline has been shortlisted as a finalist in the National Cat Awards 2024, organized by Cats Protection.

Cilla, the 12-year-old cat, beat hundreds of other entries to secure her place as one of three contestants in the Connected Cats category, which celebrates cats that bring communities together.

Moggy was chosen as a finalist because of the positive influence she has on the 400 children at Outwoods Primary School, comforting them when they are upset and cheering them on during football and rounders matches.

Read more: Plans revealed to expand Coventry cat rescue as more people abandon pets

Sally Taylor, 54, headteacher at Outwoods, said: “Cilla, with her princess job description, is high on our staff list and is praised in our Ofsted reports. She is an integral part of the school and is always intuitive to stressed staff and anxious children. I need her for our SATs week in May, she waited in the hall every morning for the year 6 students to arrive. Strolling her calms her down before the tests.

“I was assistant headmaster when Cilla started turning up, thin and hungry, six years ago. Our cat-loving director Beverley Dandy took her to the vet’s surgery next door. Cilla was microchipped, but her owners could no longer care for her. Outwoods has been her home ever since.”

“Cilla has six beds around the school, including two in her favorite place, the library. Sometimes the children come to school early to sit with her and read. One year on her birthday (which we decided was school sports day) I shared an Amazon wishlist with her 25,000 Twitter friends and Cilla, who tweets daily, received £5,000 worth of books pounds from people all over the world, feeding the whole library.”

“At night, she sleeps in one of the classrooms, with a cat so she can come and go. Every morning when I arrive, she is waiting to greet me, which makes my day start nicely. Then she hangs out with the students, in class, at recess and on the football field during games. She is a friend to everyone, even our care dog Andy, we love her so much.

Cilla will now go 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 favorite finalist by visiting www.cats.org.uk/nca during the voting period from 17 July to 30 August.

The category winners and the National Cat of the Year chosen by a panel of judges will then be announced during a ceremony at London’s One Marylebone on 18 September.

Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards, organized by the UK’s largest cat charity, is an annual celebration of real-life stories of heroism, loyalty and companionship that show life is better with cats.

This year’s National Cat of the Year 2023 award will be presented by Zebby, who was celebrated for his outstanding support to his deaf owner, Genevieve Moss, by alerting her to sounds in their Chesterfield home.

Catherine Cottrell, director of marketing and revenue generation for Cats Protection, said: “Cilla is inspiring a new generation of cat lovers. It’s wonderful how dedicated the school staff, students and parents are to her care with bags of goodies in Sally’s office, Cat Bananas strewn throughout the school corridors and a host of eager visitors who look after her on weekends and holidays. Every school needs a Cilla.

Winners in each category will receive a trophy, a £200 pet shop voucher and a year’s subscription to Cats Protection’s The Cat magazine, with the National Cat of the Year also awarded an additional trophy .

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