Owner says 'ugly' cat does not need rescuing

A pet owner has made a plea for people to stop taking her "ugly" cat because they think it needs help.

Michelle Laver lives on a boat on the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire and has to regularly convince "well-meaning people" that her Cornish Rex cat, Lulu, does not need to be rescued.

On some occasions people have tried to take Lulu while her owner was trying to convince them she is fine from the boat.

"She's a very unusual looking cat," Ms Laver said, adding: "A lot of people think she has been shaved or she's abused or is a stray, despite the fact she has an [Apple] airtag, a QR code - and she's got my name on her."

She said: "One time I was in Australia... I was getting phone calls to say 'I found your cat' and I was like 'just put her down'."

A Cornish Rex has long legs, big ears and short curly hair.

"I'm not going to lie, they're ugly as sin," Ms Laver admitted.

Now whenever the cat owner moves her boat, she posts on local Facebook pages to introduce herself and ask people not to take the cat.

She added: "She's such a celebrity now people come to take photos with her and post her on Facebook."

Ms Laver said "friendly" Lulu enjoyed the attention and could approach strangers who mistook her for a stray that needed rehoming.

Lulu's vet has also been made aware of the issue, as some people have found Lulu near her boat and tried to take her to a vet to find her home.

"I understand it comes from caring but it gets quite stressful when I'm working," the owner said.

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