England Players Adopt Dave, a Stray Cat From Qatar After Leaving World Cup
Team England may not have won the World Cup, but it did bring home a purr-fect guest, Dave, a friendly stray cat in Qatar.
When the England team arrived in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup, Dave the Cat had become a popular resident in their base camp. The team’s defenders, Kyle Walker and John Stones, had grown fond of the friendly feline, naming him and calling him Dave as the national team’s unofficial mascot.
“The first day we got there, we’ve got like a little table around the corner,” Stones recalls seeing Dave the Cat for the first time.
“Next minute, Dave pops out. Then every night he’s sat there waiting for his food.”
The Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS), a local non-profit organization dedicated to animal rescue, rehabilitation, and re-homing in Qatar, was made aware of Dave’s visit to the team’s base camp and how well he was bonding with the team. To show appreciation, QAWS left a cat gift basket filled with essentials and treats at the Three Lions (England Team) Hotel.
“When this young cat noticed the local hotel had some guests, he thought he’d try his luck and join them for dinner, and what a good move that turned out to be,” QAWS recently wrote on Instagram.
“Dave is one lucky cat and his future now looks very bright.”
Although England lost to defending champions France in the quarter-finals at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday December 10, the Manchester City duo will not be saying their final goodbyes to Dave because they have decided to adopt and bring him back to the UK.
“Yes, it’s official, Dave is going home,” QAWS announced on Instagram.
“As he’s going to the UK Dave will be patiently waiting out his 4 months as he prepares for his new life. Some of his time will be spent checking his fan mail, who knew he would need a press secretary,” added QAWS.
The team left Qatar on December 11 with Dave in tow, two hours behind. Dave will first go to a nearby veterinary clinic to get a blood test and vaccinations. He will also be quarantined for four months before meeting with Stones and Walker again.
