Words by Abi Scaife
An adorable cat has been crowned ‘National Cat of the Year 2024’ for his work comforting trafficked women.
Marley, an adorable black and white cat, lives at Caritas Bakhita House in London, where his warm presence helps those who have experienced trafficking on their journey to freedom.
Marley beat out thousands of other cats nominated for the National Cat of the Year awards. The nation’s biggest celebration of cats was held at London’s One Marylebone on 18 September and hosted by novelist and self-confessed cat lady Dawn O’Porter.
“I’m so proud Marley has won National Cat of the Year – he’s a wonderful example of the power of love,” said Karen Anstiss, 59, Head of Bakhita House, currently home to 11 women from 11 different countries. “Often Marley placing a paw on our guests’ legs is the first kindness they’ve experienced in years. He has this incredible gift of empathy and has assisted many, many women along the road to recovery.”
Before reaching the final four, Marley first won the Incredible Cats category, which celebrates cats whose bond with their humans inspires extraordinary acts of love in a public vote. Celebrity judges then chose Marley as the overall winner, making him the ultimate cat of the year.
As overall winner, Marley won a trophy and prize package, which included a £200 pet store voucher.
Other category winners this year were:
Zara – Winner of the Family Cat category, who offered pastoral care to the congregation at St John the Evangelist in Bexley, comforting mourners and starring in wedding photographs.
Cilla – Winner of the Connected category, school cat at Outwoods Primary School in Atherstone, Warwickshire, who calms pupils before their SATs and restocks the school library.
Miss Dave Mittens – Winner of the Senior Cats category, golden girl Dave is 21 and has shared a lifetime of love with her owners.
The National Cat Awards, organised by the UK’s leading cat charity Cats Protection, is an annual event, shining a light on real-life stories of heroism, loyalty and companionship in the feline world.
To see what happened when Smiley Movement met Marley earlier this month, follow this link.
To learn more about Caritas Bakhita House, you can visit their website here. To learn more about Cats Protection, follow this link to their website.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article
RSPCA. This is the leading animal welfare charity in the UK, and they specialise in animal rescue & furthering the welfare cause for all animals. Find out more here.
Four Paws UK. This charity is an animal welfare organisation, working globally to help animals in need. Learn more here.
Wildlife Justice Commission. This international foundation works to end animal trafficking around the globe. Find out more here.
This article aligns with the UN SDGs Life on Land and Partnerships for the Goals.
