Anfield cat who halted Liverpool game escapes foster home

The cat who was thrust into the limelight after bringing a Premier League match to a halt has escaped from his foster home.

Shankly, the famous “Anfield cat”, made his bid for freedom on Saturday when he battered down a sealed cat flap at his new foster home in Liverpool.

He was being temporarily looked after on behalf of Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre in Crosby.

Dave Callender, cat neutering co-ordinator at the centre, said the crafty cat was probably heading back to the stadium where he found fame.

He said: “Shanks could well be heading back to Anfield for another shot at the limelight.

“Cats like Shanks, which we call ‘street toms’, are very hard to tame.

“They are very worldly and know every trick in the book.

“They can get by in ways that humans could never dream of, and enjoy life on the streets.

Dave believes the tabby has shunned the celebrity lifestyle in favour of his old street life.

He added: “We were trying to train Shanks to appreciate the finer things in life, but he obviously had enough of his celebrity status and wants to get back to his roots.

“He is definitely a people cat and loved the attention while he was with us.

“So many people came to see him and he revelled in it, but just didn’t like the confinement.”

Dave urged anyone who sees the cat to get in touch with the centre.

He added: “We want people to keep an eye out for Shanks because he still hasn’t been neutered.

“He deserves to have a safe and loving home so anyone who spots him should give us a call immediately.”

The mischievous moggy shot to fame after bringing Liverpool’s clash with Spurs earlier this month to a halt by running onto the pitch.

But if he is hoping to make another appearance for the Reds he will be out of luck as they travel to Wembley this weekend to face Cardiff City in the Carling Cup final.

Anyone who spots Shanks is urged to contact Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre on 0151 931 1604.

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