A veteran rescue cat has been awarded after helping to turn round the life of a Dundee woman.
Tortoiseshell, Peggy, 18, was recognised at a glitzy ceremony in London.
Peggy was rewarded with a special award at the annual Cats Protection National Cat Awards after helping bring back owner Kirsty Oliphant, 23, from the brink.
The 18-year-old cat’s loyalty and companionship helped inspire Kirsty, who has struggled with a long history of mental health issues, to turn her life round.
Before adopting Peggy in 2014, Kirsty admits she was “at rock bottom”.
The 23-year-old had been been admitted to a psychiatric hospital on several occasions following a series of suicide attempts.
But after meeting Peggy, the gloom Kirsty experienced began to lift.
Kirsty revealed: “As soon as I met her, she jumped on top of my lap and I knew she had chosen me. Immediately we had a bond and that has just become stronger and stronger.
“She brought humour, fun and comfort into my life overnight.
“My life changed very quickly after Peggy came home with me. The despair lifted and having her by my side gave me a new sense of purpose and responsibility.”
Kirsty, who attended the event at London’s Savoy, has gone from strength to strength in the last two years.
Such is the rapid progress of her recovery, Kirsty now intends to go to university to study mental health nursing.
She said: “Before Peggy, I was in and out of hospital with mental health issues. It was a draining and difficult life.
“Yet since she arrived I’ve not been back to hospital once. My life really has turned around.
“I thought my life was over but, thanks to Peggy, it is just beginning.
“I always knew how special Peggy is but this award means the world to me. I’m so delighted other people have recognised what she means.”
And while Kirsty credits Peggy with turning her life around, the OAP pet also owes her second chance in life to her owner.
Having been handed in to Cats Protection aged 16 and suffering with FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), she had struggled to find a new home before teaming up with Kirsty.
Cats Protection’s award organiser Kate Bunting added: “Peggy and Kirsty’s relationship is truly heart-warming and they have both given each other a second chance in life.”
