A SIX-year-old cat saved from the hands of cruel youths by an animal rescue charity has proved that a humble moggie really can be the cat's whiskers.

Judges at one of the country's top cat shows, the Manchester and District Cat Club annual show, picked unassuming tabby Alfred Kresta over more than 100 pedigrees to be crowned top cat.

After winning his own non-pedigree class, he was nominated the overall contest winner and, for the first time in the competition's history, the judges favoured a modest household cat to a more exotic breed.

Alfred's proud owner, Pat Kidd, of Spennymoor, County Durham, who has been showing and breeding cats for 29 years, said the victory was "a big day for moggies".

She said: "I got him from the Durham and District Cats Protection League, which had rescued him from youths who were using him as dog bait when he was a kitten.

"To think that he is now impressing top judges is wonderful. Everyone was really pleased to see a non-pedigrees being recognised at such occasions.

"He is a lovely, warm cat with real character and that is obviously what people see in him."