Former concertmaster John Doig will endure his ‘Meow-zart March!’ with a wheeled walker on 13 September, to raise funds for the cat charity from which he adopted his beloved companion
A retired concert violinist with Parkinson’s disease is walking 5K with a walker to raise funds for a cat charity.
John Doig, 68, of Killearn, Scotland, was a former leader of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Opera Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He was the first instrumental pupil enrolled at St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh, in 1972, after playing to Yehudi Menuhin.
Doig was forced to retire at the age of 43 after being diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s disease. On Sunday 13 September 2026, he will tackle the Kelvingrove Park 5K in Glasgow with a wheeled walker in his campaign entitled ‘John’s Meow-zart March!’ to raise funds for Cat Action Trust 1977 Ayrshire Branch.
Doig adopted his cat, Ruah, from the trust four years ago and describes her as ’my constant loving companion ever since’.
The charity specialises in rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming feral stray cats and kittens. With a no-kill policy, animals that are rescued are cared for by foster families until a suitable home can be found.
The trust is run entirely on donations and all helpers are volunteers. Ahead of his walk, Doig has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the charity.
’I call it my Meow-zart March! - though on the day it will be more Adagio than Allegro,’ says Doig.
Cats have held a special place in Doig’s heart during difficult times. Doig received his Parkinson’s diagnosis following a scan that showed he had lost 50 per cent of his dopamine cells, and that the disease would progress quickly. Doig mentioned that he was devastated, but that the two cats he had at the time of his diagnosis – Blackie and Cleo – helped a lot.
Since Doig’s diagnosis, he has participated regularly in clinical studies and surveys in order to further scientific research into the causes and treatments of the debilitating disease. Doig has helped raise awareness and funds for both Parkinson’s Scotland and Help Musicians (formerly The Musicians’ Benevolent Fund).
All photos courtesy John Doig.
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