December 13, 2022, 05:10 PM
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England's Manchester City duo Kyle Walker and John Stones have decided to adopt a stray cat after befriending him at their training base at Al Wakrah, Reuters reported on Dec. 11.
Stones named the cat “Dave”.
Not leaving empty-handed
This comes after England’s defeat to France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter finals in which they lost by a score of 1-2.
According to the BBC, the duo initially said that they would take Dave home if England triumphed in the games, but decided to adopt the cat anyway even after their World Cup loss.
Unofficial furry mascot
Stones told the Football Association’s (FA) that they saw the cat the first day they arrived, Reuters reported. They added that the cat would sit at the team’s training area and wait for food.
Dave then became a regular guest at the team’s dinner table, but not everyone liked him, according to Walker. Walker also said that Dave was involved in a “little scrap with another cat” over territory and food, but added that the cat was doing fine.
The duo posted regular updates of Dave on Instagram during their time in Qatar.
"Everyone seems to be moving away because we keep inviting the cat." 🐈😂
— England (@England) December 3, 2022
Of course, we had to ask @kylewalker2 about Dave the Cat during Friday's episode of #LionsDen with @marksandspencer... pic.twitter.com/oH1Mk5wJRi
According to The Guardian, Dave was taken to a local veterinary clinic in the UK to undergo tests and receive his vaccination. He would have to undergo four months in quarantine before being transferred to Manchester City, where he would be under the care of Stones or Walker.
Dave the cat is coming home.
— PA Media (@PA) December 11, 2022
The England #FIFAWorldCup squad have adopted a stray cat in Qatar, who spent time around the players in between matches and has begun its journey to join them in the UK pic.twitter.com/eXMDEfSnIs
Truly Cat-ar
Dave was not the only cat that has received media attention at the 2022 World Cup. Another unnamed cat interrupted Brazil’s press conference that took place before the team's defeat to Croatia in the quarter-finals.
The cat climbed onto the table next to Vinicius Jr and was later thrown off the table by a team official, The Guardian reported. Some were shocked at the official's handling of the animal, while others found it worthy of memes.
He did not YEET the cat like that omgggggg pic.twitter.com/fIUxqs9kBZ
— Courtney Stith (@CourtneyStith) December 7, 2022
Stray cats are a common sight around restaurants and hotels in Qatar, the host nation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, according to BBC.
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Top images via Instagram/england & johnstonesofficial
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