THIS lottery-winning couple praised a stray black cat as their “lucky charm,” claiming it helped them scoop up a £1million win.
Tony Pearce, 71, and wife Deb, 63, started feeding a local black stray cat they named Billy in 2017.
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They took Billy under their wing at a time when they were struggling financially.
Six months later, the Southend couple won £1M on Lotto, Bracknell News reported.
For Deb, this confirmed her belief: black cats are lucky.
Deb said: “Some people say black cats are unlucky, I’d say nothing could be further from the truth!
“When Billy appeared, we were close to selling our beloved home and becoming strays ourselves, after Tony had stopped working due to ill health.”
Six months after Billy arrived, Lady Luck struck and our lives changed for good.
Deb Pearce
Their beloved pet has shared their winnings, benefitting from his new luxury lifestyle.
Billy, who is thought to be eight years old, holidays with the couple at their second home in Norfolk, has a “huge carrier” so he can move around while travelling and enjoys a selection of food to pick from.
Their big win couldn’t have come at a better time, since Tony had recently stopped working due to ill health and the couple were in serious debt, Deb explained.
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She went on: “We were able to stay in our home and renovate it into our own perfect slice of heaven.
“We’ve enjoyed holidays away and, closer to home, bought a place in Norfolk, somewhere we have always loved spending time and somewhere the whole family can enjoy.”
But the celebrations didn’t end there.
Deb added: “To top it off, we finally said ‘I do’ at our dream wedding.”
Billy is now a firm part of the family and the couple have spared no expense on his care.
They pay for twice daily insulin injections after he was diagnosed with diabetes and put him on a tailored hypoallergenic diet.
Discussing his health and recent diagnosis, Deb said: “Perhaps it’s due to his days as a stray when he must have enjoyed a very varied diet, but now we have to keep a selection of food for him.
“If he has more than three days on the same flavour he turns up his nose and while he enjoys the chicken and vegetable meal, Billy doesn’t like the peas.
“I find myself rooting through his food, picking out the peas and wondering who is the National Lottery millionaire around here?!”
Tony spoke of his much-loved pet, saying he received star quality treatment at home and on holiday.
Tony revealed: “To make sure Norfolk is a home from home, he has the exact same set-up there as he has in Essex and this level of attention seems to suit him well.”
He added: “When I find myself paying the bill for vet care or Billy’s specialist diet, that comes in at more than our annual trip to The Savoy, I can’t help thinking that it might be Billy who is also lucky.
“It’s not a bad life for a Southend stray who clearly turned up on the right doorstep at the right time and proved to us that black cats are in fact lucky!”
It comes as National Lottery revealed that over half of their winners believed they received a “sign” before they won.
While over a fifth (22%) of millionaires believe their fortune was all down to a “lucky charm”.
Last year, Ian Black from Carlisle won big after he was nearly diverted from his usual routine on his way home from work due to road works.
Something made him continue and, as he was buying his paper, a National Lottery Scratchcard caught his eye – a decision which led to a £2M win.
Meanwhile, another couple hit the jackpot after a crazy dream prophecy – which didn’t make sense until they got mind-blowing news about their £15.5million win.
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