FRIENDLY CAT EMBRACED BY VILLAGE GETS HIS OWN CHARITY CALENDAR AND FACEBOOK PAGE
Source: Mirror (Extract)
Posted: January 4, 2020
Wilbur the cat, who has been ‘adopted’ by his village after he left his owners, has become so popular people visit his hometown just to see him.
A friendly cat who has been adopted by an entire village is starring in his own charity calendar.
Wilbur walked out on his owners after they took in two rescue kittens – so now he bed-hops around.
He even has his own Facebook page and people visit the area just to see him. Original owner Cathy Applebee said: “One day he just packed his bags and left. “He took one look at the cats, his back went up and off he went. “But now the village has embraced him because he’s such a friendly boy.”
For the past five years the ginger tom has called in for meals at the pub, florist and assorted homes. He is such a local celebrity he has earned the title King of Ruddington. Locals in the village, near Nottingham, even came together to throw him a birthday party in the summer when he turned ten, with a giant cake shaped like a cat. Cathy said: “I do miss him a lot but it’s nice to see the community embracing him.
“One lady came from West Yorkshire to visit her grandson and said, ‘I’ve come to see Wilbur.’”
The Wilbur calendar 2020 has been organised by staff at the Nottingham Building Society, where he visits. Money raised is going to fund a new roof for the local scout hut.
Assistant branch manager Lesley Harper said: “Wilbur is such a popular character and so well-loved we thought the calendar would be a great idea. “He comes in to us most days. We’ve people who aren’t customers but they come in to see him and take photos.”
Wilbur’s Facebook page is liked by 1,800 people. His followers say he is “an amazing cat, friendly and patient with every human and dog”.
Ms Harper said the calendar was very popular with residents who did not use social media but were desperate to see more photos of him.
