http://www.yourcat.co.uk 55š
Celebrity^ interview
“I love that
cats are so
independent!”
TV star Chizzy Akudolu talks
about her love of cats — and
the kitten who stole her heart.F
ans of BBC’s ‘Holby City’ will
recognise Chizzy Akudolu as heart
surgeon Mo Effanga, a well-known
face in the medical drama from
2012 until her departure in June this
year. Since then, Chizzy has waltzed
her way on to our screens as one of
the celebrities in the current series of
‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
A lifelong cat lover, she is the proud
owner of three-year-old moggy Bootsy
— although from the sounds of it, it
seems that he owns her!
Chizzy found adorable Bootsy as
a kitten online, along with his brother,
and instantly fell in love with the duo.
However, when she went to see them,
only one fluffy boy was left — so he went
home with her as an only cat.
“I think he was the runt of the litter,
but he’s adorable,” she says. “I don’t
know why he wasn’t taken too!”Chizzy admits that it wasn’t all smooth
sailing with her new feline housemate,
as she was unprepared for how much
mischief her new kitten would cause
once he came home.
She recalls: “When we first got him
home, he was so naughty! People said
that’s what kittens are like, but I was
working late so my niece had to babysit
him. When I got home, he’d go nuts!”
Chizzy says that on top of being quite
a live wire, Bootsy is also something of
a kleptomaniac.
“He’d try to pinch food from my plate,
and when I told him off, he leaped onto
my face!” she laughs.
She admits that while his lively
personality took some getting used to,
once he settled down, he became really
affectionate towards her. “My sister told
me to give him time to settle, and then
one night, I got home and got into bed,
and he came and lay down next to me.
That’s how the love affair started!”
Bootsy even donned the mantle of
nurse one evening, and stayed awake
with Chizzy while she was suffering with
a bad fever. The pair have been best
friends ever since.
Some people don’t like the fact that
cats can be quite aloof, but that’s just
one of the many things that Chizzy
loves about our feline friends. She says:
“I love that cats are so independent. Cats
aren’t moody and they don’t smother
you with affection; they will love you on
their own terms.”
Cat-mad Chizzy, who was a guest of
honour at the charity Cats Protection’s
recent National Cat Awards, also admits
to being a sucker for a feline face.
She says: “I once read that kittens are
considered to be the cutest animals in
the world, and you can see why when
you look at their faces!” —Chizzy at the National
Cat Awards.yBootsy is three
years old.Bootsy as a kitten.“Cats aren’t moody
and they don’t smother
you with affection; they
will love you on their
own terms.”
friends ever since.Chizzy is a sucker
for a cute feline face.55 YC celeb CSCC(SW).indd 55 29/09/2017 09:21