An eye-catching purple furry taxi – complete with ears and a tail – has wrapped up its tour of feline fun across the UK. The Cat Cab started in London, then on to Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester, where enthusiastic cat-lovers snapped selfies, belted out karaoke classics, and showed their support for the Cats Protection National Cat Awards.
Unfortunately, disaster struck before it could reach Glasgow city centre for the planned grand finale on Sunday 6 July when engine trouble put the brakes on its final leg.
The tour was joined by some familiar faces including Radio Presenter Adam Brown and recipient of the Best Actor Award at the Los Angeles Horror Film Awards, Reece Ryan, to help raise awareness of the awards and encourage the public to vote.
Adam, who will also be MCing at the National Cat Awards in September, said: “It was a fantastic experience to get on board the Cat Cab in Manchester! The cab itself looked incredible and seeing people react and respond to it was brilliant. It was such a unique way to help raise awareness of the National Cat Awards 2025 as well as the amazing work Cats Protection continue to do to help cats all across the UK. I loved meeting so many people and talking to them about their cats! It was truly a perfect day!”
Reece said: “I think events like these are so vitally important – not only for the welfare of vulnerable cats, dogs, and other animals, but also for the incredible charities that work to safeguard them. So many of these beautiful creatures find themselves abandoned through no fault of their own, and it’s organisations like Cats Protection that give them the second chance they deserve.”
The Cat Cab turned heads across Cardiff, catching the attention of the city’s Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, Councillor Adrian Robson, and Councillor Jayne Cowan.
Councillor Adrian Robson said: “It was lovely to see the Cat Cab in Cardiff bringing a smile to people’s faces and raising awareness of the National Cat Awards and the work of Cats Protection.”
Councillor Jayne Cowan agreed: “The Cat Cab was a real talking point in Cardiff Bay and it’s great to see charities like Cats Protection engaging with the public in such a fun and creative way.”
While the official diagnosis of the Cat Cab was engine failure, some suspect it simply couldn’t handle the sheer volume of public attention and the thousands of votes flooding in for this year’s finalists.
TV presenter Roo Irvine who was due to spend the day with the Cat Cab in Glasgow, said: “What can I say? Our beloved Cat Cab…you certainly went out with a bang, but what a trooper you have been for this fantastic, fun campaign.
“I’m gutted that Glasgow didn’t experience the absolute joy that this big, purple furry cab brought to so many others recently. If anything, we should carry on the Cat Cabs’ fighting spirit and be sure to vote in the national cat awards by the end of July. Don’t let her hard work be in vain…get voting and keep spreading the word of this fabulous charity that does so much to help the lives of our feline friends.”
Operations Manager, David Paterson-McKearney, added: “We were so excited to bring the National Cat Awards back for 2025 with abig, purple, furry bang – we just didn’t think that would come from the engine!”
The National Cat Awardsrecognise the UK’s most extraordinary cats and the impact they’ve had on the people around them.
This year’s competition will see 12 furry hopefuls across four categories: Incredible Cat, Senior Cat, Family Cat and Connected Cat, all competing for the prestige of being named Cats Protection National Cat of the Year 2025.
Voting is now open, and cat-lovers have until midday on 31 July to vote for their favourite finalist at www.cats.org.uk/nca.
