Norfolk cat stars in charity calendar
Monty will be Mr August
A Norfolk cat will star in a charity calendar.
15-year-old Monty has been named Mr August in Cats Protection’s charity calendar.
Charity worker Becky Piggott, 39, from Watlington is Monty's owner.
She nominated him for the honour: “I was diagnosed with a chronic pain condition and Monty knows when I need a cuddle. Recently Monty has had some health problems himself so I’m getting the chance to take care of him now. He’s there for me and I’ll always be there for him. We’re inseparable. We would never be without Monty.
“I can honestly say he is the best cat who could have come along when he did and I just had to put him forward to be featured in the Cats Protection calendar. I felt so proud when he was selected to be Mr August.”
Brigadier Monty Bojangles, to give him his full name, is a shorthaired cat who had already made a significant impact on Becky’s life since being adopted by the Senior Rehoming and Welfare Assistant at Cats Protection’s Downham Market Adoption Centre.
She said: “Our hearts were broken when we lost our previous cat after a long battle with kidney disease in June 2019 and we said we could never have another cat. But our home felt too empty, even months later, so one day I asked my husband to come look at the cats in care at the centre.
“When we saw Monty I just cried. He clung tightly to my legs and wouldn’t let go. We found out then that Monty had been taken into care the same day that our previous cat Sophie had passed away. That was all it took. It was meant to be. I couldn’t explain it but knew we had to take him home...
“He is such a relaxed, funny and charismatic cat with a relaxed, confident character and he makes me laugh every day with his silly antics. He quickly became my shadow around the house and he is a permanent feature on my lap before coming up to bed with me every night.”
Cats Protection’s charity calendar shares the stories of cats successfully adopted through the charity’s network of adoption centres and volunteer-run branches.
Tom Ryan, Interim Head of Retail and Trading at Cats Protection said: "“Our 2023 calendars will put a smile on faces up and down the country, illustrating the result of good work done by volunteers and staff at our branches, centres and shops and as a reminder that we do it all for cats."