Owners can nominate cats for their devotion, companionship or courage

A cat called Pixie which alerted its owners to their child choking in her cot was a previous winner of a Cats Protection Hero award – and now the search is on for this year’s finalists.

Nominations have opened for this year’s National Cat awards, and owners can put their pets forward for one of five categories.

As well as the ‘hero cat’ award, there are trophies for the most caring cat, the cat which has become a true friend to a child, the outstanding rescue cat and a ‘better together’ award celebrating a special bond which has benefited both the cat and its owner.

There is also an overall award for the National Cat of the Year.

Nominations are open until Friday, March 8 and a panel of celebrity cat lovers will choose the winning cats, whose owners will receive their trophies at a ceremony in London in August. The awards are sponsored by the pet food maker Purina.