This is beautiful Mister Ben, the limerick about whom won my recent competition. His owner Emma, limerick writer extraordinaire, told me that on the day I announced the winner it was actually his birthday! What a very happy coincidence!
Here he is playing with his new honeysuckle toys!
Mr Ben was found living on the streets and taken to a local rescue centre. He was covered in fleas and unsurprisingly had acquired a flea allergy. This caused him to nibble his fur which then developed into a habit. He was 8 years old when Emma rehomed him, middle-aged and balding! Two years later, he still has some very small patches of nibbled fur but much better than it was, says Emma.
Another legacy of living on the streets is that he is always hungry! He will go to find Emma to tell her and if she doesn't feed him immediately he licks his paws until she does!
He is now 10 years old and a gorgeous, loving, people-oriented cat.
As a reminder here is the limerick that won him the prize:
Mister Ben
From Foal Farm came a cat: Mister Ben,
For a second time, re-homed again,
He nibbles his fur,
Has a street cat purr,
Everyone loves Mister Ben
