A Norfolk woman is encouraging people to adopt mature moggies and to not overlook them, having adopted 10 herself.

Devoted cat fan Becky Piggott, from Watlington, is always drawn to an OAP - 'an Old Age Puss' - rather than the cute and playful kittens at the cat charity where she works.

Ms Piggott, a senior cat care assistant at Cats Protection's Downham Market Adoption Centre, is attracted to the more mature moggies and has a record of caring for these furry OAPs, having adopted 10 with a combined adoption age of 161 years.

The 37-year-old said: “I am absolutely passionate about older cats.

Eastern Daily Press: Becky and her first elderly cat Sooty, both aged 18.Becky and her first elderly cat Sooty, both aged 18. (Image: Cats Protection)

“I'm currently the proud owner of a young-at-heart 15-year-old Brigadier Monty Bojangles.”

Cats Protection launched Mature Moggies Day 2021, which will take place on June 16, to highlight stories of owners with older cats and to encourage people to think about giving mature moggies a home.

Ms Piggott, who adopted her first elderly cat at the age of 18, has also called for people not to overlook 'OAPs.'

She said: “Older cats have just as much to offer as kittens. They tend to stay closer to home, are very affectionate and provide amazing companionship.

"With improvements in cat care, the quality of life for older moggies has greatly increased so people should consider adopting one.”

The national charity’s adoption figures show that older cats aged 11 and over take an average of one month to find a new home – more than three times as long as kittens, who take just eight days.

Cats Protection commissioned a survey of 2,000 people who own or have previously owned cats, which showed that 23pc of respondents would consider any cat aged over five years as ‘older’.

Under a quarter of survey respondents said they would be likely to consider an older cat, compared to 68pc of respondents who would be likely to consider getting a kitten.

The top reasons given for not considering an older cat were that it might not live long, it would be more likely to get ill and it would cost money if unwell.

For more information on Moggies Day visit www.cats.org.uk/mature-moggies