Sky Sports' Jeff Stelling on sharing his home with NINE pet cats - including one named after Pools manager Dave Challinor

The Sky Sports host and president of Hartlepool United surprised his followers on Twitter by showing off photos all of his feline friends in a series of posts this week.

Jeff and his wife Liz have welcomed a variety of stray, homeless and other cats into their home in Hampshire over a number of years.

They topped nine cats last summer when their 17-year-old daughter Olivia went to collect a kitten from a nearby farm, but brought home three instead.

Jeff said: “It makes for a busy house! My wife, in particular, is a big animal lover. We’ve always had cats but never this many.

"One was a feral cat, another was a rescue cat that was dumped when the owners moved house. For our ginger tom, Gilbert, the vet rang up and said ‘we’ve got one without a home, any chance?’”

Their black and white long-haired cat Dave Challinor – named after Hartlepool United’s current manager – just turned up on the doorstep and after a few months decided to move in.

Jeff said the family are lucky in that they have a large home and garden for them to roam about in.

He added: “There’s a sort of pecking order among them. It sounds like it should be mayhem but it isn’t.”

What's more, the family also have three dogs in the shape of a cocker spaniel, jackapoo and sprocker.

Jeff began sharing pictures of his cats daily on Twitter after Sky colleague Jacquie Beltrao showed a picture of her cat and suggested taking it into work.

Hundreds of fans responded by sharing pictures of their own cats and dogs.

He added: “It’s just a bit of fun. People seem to like seeing pictures of kittens and cats.

"Also it’s lockdown and there’s nothing else to do. I got a ridiculously good response after the first one and thought I might as well show them my others.”

Jeff stressed the family will not be taking in any more cats, although a stray has been turning up for the last few months.

"No more!” he said.

Related story: Jeff Stelling calls for investigation after Hartlepool match called off at short notice

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