From rags to riches.
A cat rescued from the brink of death in a hot car crammed with nearly 50 other felines is now a Target model.
Hercules’ adorable fluffy face adorns cat products from retail brands across the country.
The gray and white kitten is easily identified by its trademark pose with its tongue hanging out in almost every shot.
But the backstory behind its charming eccentricity is heartbreaking.
On a sweltering day in 2022, Hercules was rescued along with dozens of other cats from a car parked at a rest stop near the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
The owner, who was also living in the car, agreed to surrender him to Toughstart Rescue in hopes of a better life, but during the surrender Hercules escaped. The Washington Post reported.
Animal rescue volunteers searched for the escaped kitten for a month and found it sitting on a neighbor’s front porch. Hercules was in terrible condition, his jaw was broken, his tongue was severely damaged, and his fur was infested with maggots.
“We suspected that he may have been hit by a car. Since he was so close to death, we thought it would be more humane to euthanize him,” said Tough Start Rescue. Nicole Perrault, the veterinarian who runs it, told the magazine.
Feeling that he had made a terrible mistake, Hercules raised his head and looked at Perrault, taking it as a plea for his life.
“I got the impression that he really wanted to fight,” she said.
Thanks to the Tough Start Rescue Team, the 6-year-old cat is steadily regaining health. The team cleaned him, gave him fluids through an IV, administered painkillers and planned surgery on his jaw.
“His jaw is a little crooked and his tongue hangs out almost all the time because of what happened to him,” Perrault said.
“But he’s a sweet, tough cat. The name Hercules suits him.”
They share Hercules’ progress on their Faceook page, inadvertently connecting him with a woman who will take him home.
“As a nurse, I’m drawn to animals that are medically vulnerable,” says Jill LeBlanc, a pediatric nurse who has fostered dogs and cats for many years.
“I knew I needed to develop Hercules, and I felt I could do it too.”
Once LeBlanc noticed that Hercules was adapting easily to life at home, frequently snuggling with her other cat, Kei, and her new puppy, Juni, her foster family quickly set out to adopt him. I gave it away.
Ms. LeBlanc kept her new furry friends in show business until last fall, when she came across a post from Animal Connection, a pet talent agency looking for cats with unusual faces, to scout Minneapolis-based Target. There were no plans to invest in
Like Leblanc, the agent quickly fell in love with Hercules and his tongue and asked him to come and photograph him.
“Hercules was amazing. He was a friendly cat and everyone loved him,” said LeBlanc, who said he paid a $100 entry fee. “They said his photo would be on something at Target in early 2024.”
When March arrived, LeBlanc took a trip to Target to see if the silly-looking cat was a huge success. And he was overjoyed to see Hercules and his tongue on every bucket of Up & Up’s unscented clumping cat litter on the shelves.
LeBlanc loaded the cart with items, she said. “All my friends and neighbors did it too. One of my friends didn’t tell her son when she took him to the store, but he saw the trash and “Mom!” I said. The cat resembles Hercules. ”
Hercules is no one-trick pony either. LeBlanc said he has another photo shoot scheduled for another Target ad. That means his tongue will be gracing other store brand merchandise in just a few months.
“He’s a natural, he loves being the center of attention,” LeBlanc said.
“I feel very lucky to be able to spend every day with him.”
