IT'S International Cat Day (Saturday, August 8) and Vale cat owners are being asked to send in their feline footage for a new set of lockdown-based awards.

This year’s National Cat Awards has had to be postponed until Thursday August, 5 2021.

In its place, Cats Protection is launching its Alternative Cat Awards 2020, which celebrates how cats and their owners have been keeping each other company during lockdown.

Whether it’s providing companionship, interrupting meetings, disrupting home schooling or getting involved in workouts, Cats Protection would like owners to show just how entertaining and supportive their feline friends have been, by sending in footage.

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If your pawsome pal has made an outstanding contribution to your life this year, just upload a video of them to Instagram or Twitter using #AlternativeCatAwards into one of the following categories.

#PurinaPurrfectTeamwork – Celebrating the bond between cats and their owners working or studying during the lockdown period

#MischievousMoggy – Cats with interesting and playful behaviours that may have performed challenges or been a source of entertainment during lockdown

#SeniorKitizen - Mature cats aged 11 years and above

#PurrfectlyImperfect – Celebrating cats living happy, healthy lives with a disability, health issue or superficial aesthetic deformity

#BestNewcomer – Cats adopted from an animal rescue organisation in 2020

Category winners will be announced on Cats Protection’s social media channels throughout the day on Thursday, September 17.

At the end of the day, the public will be asked to vote in a People’s Choice award for their favourite category winner, to be announced on Wednesday, September 23 by cat-loving comedian Bob Mortimer.

The awards are sponsored by Cats Protection’s long-term corporate partner PURINA® and the five category winners will receive a bumper pack of Cats Protection goodies worth £100, with the People’s Choice winner also receiving a pair of tickets to next year’s National Cat Awards at The Savoy in London.

For information visit www.cats.org.uk/aca

Meanwhile, in celebration of all things feline, cat-loving Agria Pet Insurance has revealed the most popular cat names of 2020.

Top names for male cats are, in order of popularity, Milo, Teddy, Simba, Oscar, and Leo.

And for the female felines the most popular are Luna, Bella, Lola, Nala, and Coco.

Luna is the most popular name of all the cats insured with Agria.