Yes, Gorgeous, and her friend, Big Momma, an unwed mother many times over-no one knows quite how many children she had-have turned their lives around and can now be found in glossy magazines, advertising the wonders of Ethan Allen furniture. Both are engaging felines rescued by Kent Kats and tapped for the advertising campaign by South Kent resident, Caroline Jennings.
"This is the first time Ethan Allen has used rescue cats in its advertising," said Kent Kats founder Carol Jalbert, owner of Country Clothes. She counts Ms. Jennings among her clients at her store, where she keeps a number of the cats available for adoption at any given time.
Ms. Jalbert said she was originally skeptical about the cats' modeling abilities. "I didn't know if it would work," she said. "When she called, she was very specific-she wanted a gray cat. I had one that would have been just right, but it had been adopted the day before."
The two women worked through photographs of the cats until they settled on Big Momma, a muted, longhaired calico beauty with strong gray tones.
When Ms. Jennings arrived to pick up Big Momma for the photo shoot, she also fell under the spell of Gorgeous, a lanky bold-marked calico with a vivacious personality. "You can see she is not shy," Ms. Jalbert observed as Gorgeous pussy-footed down the counter, engaging bystanders in petting sessions.
Despite Ms. Jalbert's reservations, the cats performed beautifully, settling into the photographer's studio and interacting with the human models. "They just let them go and photographed them all day," said Ms. Jalbert.
The cats were returned to Kent Kats with a standard modeling fee and Big Momma was shortly after adopted into a loving home. "She is now an only cat and [her new owners] just love her," said Ms. Jalbert. Gregarious Gorgeous is still waiting for a home.
Mrs. Jalbert and her husband, David, moved to the Gaylordsville section of New Milford in 1986 and a stray cat almost immediately adopted them. She has been placing stray cats ever since. Originally, Kent Kats was affiliated with M.E.O.W., but Ms. Jalbert established her own nonprofit organization several years ago. Kent Kats has placed hundreds of homeless animals over the years, but Ms. Jalbert is quick to point out that she is not a shelter.
"I don't have the facilities," she asserts. Instead, she prefers to focus on education about spaying and neutering cats to prevent unwanted kittens and on supplying spay/neuter assistance for those who cannot afford the vet bills. Mrs. Jalbert noted that female cats can become pregnant at five months, and she recommends spaying and neutering at three months.
The costs of operating Kent Kats are substantial. "It was more than $25,000 last year just for medical bills," she said, "and then there is food and kitty litter-oh, the kitty litter ... ." While donations are always welcome to help with the work, for this month at least, Big Momma and Gorgeous have contributed their modeling fees, some $200, to the cause.
To see Gorgeous, stop by Country Clothes on Main Street in Kent. For more information about Kent Kats, call 860-927-4064.