The tail behind the tale – the real story of Kozal, the star of our Christmas video.

This year’s Christmas animation from Cats Protection is a festive tale with a difference, taking inspiration from a true story.

If you haven’t yet seen the tear-jerking animation, it features 16-year-old ginger cat Kozal as he waits in an adoption centre to be rehomed. What you might not know is that Kozal is a real cat – once in the care of Cats Protection’s National Cat Adoption Centre in Sussex.

Overlooked by prospective owners, the real Kozal spent a total of seven months at the centre. It wasn’t until he was spotted in a local newspaper by cat-lover Jill Cash and her husband that he was finally given the chance of a home. Jill says: “We adopted Kozal because he has that forlorn look on his face and we just wanted to give him a warm safe place to spend his OAP years.”

The Cats Protection Christmas animation focuses on Kozal’s time in the centre as he slowly becomes more dejected when he is overlooked in favour of other cats.  Thankfully, there is a happy ending – just like the real Kozal, he soon finds a special someone.

The real Kozal has managed to settle nicely into his new home too. “He loves to sit in front of our French doors and watch the birds. He is a real feisty character and we are starting to recognise the different miaows he gives us,” says Jill.

Cats Protection are thrilled to see that Kozal is happy and settled in his new home in time for Christmas. Tania Marsh, National Cat Adoption Centre Manager, says: “Our volunteers and staff work hard to make every cat’s time with us as comfortable and happy as possible but it’s no substitute for a real home.”

If you’re looking to give a cat a home, click here to find a cat on our website.