Support cat Zebby alerts deaf owner to phone calls

Zebby alerts his owner Genevieve to visitors and phone calls

A cat who alerts his deaf owner to visitors and phone calls is in the running for a national award.

Zebby, a two-year-old black-and-white cat from Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, taps his owner Genevieve Moss's face to alert her to put on her hearing aid.

Ms Moss said: "Without my hearing aid, I can't hear anything, but now I have Zebby to help me."

Zebby is one of 12 finalists in the National Cat Awards, which is due to be held on 17 July in London.

Zebby is one of 12 finalists in the National Cat Awards competition

Ms Moss was full of praise for her fur-midable friend.

She said: "He'll come and tap me when the phone is ringing, and then I can pop my hearing aid and speaker on and take the call.

"In the night, if there's an unusual noise, he will bat me on my head to wake me up and let me know. If someone is at the door, he'll pace about in front of me until I get the message.

"He is very helpful and likes to bring me things - he'll get the post from the doormat and pick it up in his mouth before dropping it in the bedroom.

"He even brings me my slippers if he finds them somewhere other than my feet.

"Zebby is very special, I've never known a cat quite like him."

Zebby even fetches his owner the post and her slippers

The awards, which are run by the charity Cats Protection, are due to take place at Wilton's Music Hall.

People can vote online for their favourite feline.

Sammie Ravenscroft, cat behaviour officer at Cats Protection, added: "Zebby is an extraordinary cat, who has clearly got a wonderful bond with his owner Genevieve.

"Although Zebby hasn't had any formal training for the role he has taken up, he has found something that must be special for him too as he continues to do it, whether it be a head rub or a tasty treat when he has done well.

"Either way, Zebby is a perfect example of a cat that is truly remarkable."