These well-dressed kitties are certainly a sight to behold.
The historic Algonquin Hotel in midtown Manhattan played host to its annual cat fashion show on Thursday, with feline fashionistas strutting their stuff to raise awareness about animal adoption.
The kitties were carried up the red carpet in the arms of their human slaves in order to preen in the light of flashbulbs and phone cameras.
The night’s theme was ‘The Purring 20s’, and the feline stars were attired accordingly, with Great Gatsby-esque outfits that evoked the hedonism and glamour of the jazz age.
Cat owner Melanie Lee brought two cats to the party – Sake, dressed in lilac satin and a garden hat, and the suave boy Merlin, who was decked out in a tophat and tails.
She said: ‘These are rescue cats, and that’s the whole reason for this whole event. And I think there’s a huge need to adopt more animals off the street, and there’s a lot of cats looking for loving homes.’
All the proceeds of the event went to the Mayors Alliance for NYC’s Animals, an organisation that helps to find homes for stray cats and dogs.
The Algonquin Hotel’s ‘chief cat officer’ Alice De Almieda, said: ‘Everybody is here to help because we all believe that adoption is the option’.
‘We want to let people know that cats are special and that the Mayor’s Alliance is just a wonderful organisation.’
The 20s themed catwalk fitted perfectly with the Algonquin Hotel’s history, as between 1919 and 1929, it was the meeting place for the Algonquin Round Table, a group of New York actors, writers and critics who would spend their time verbally sparring and exchanging witticisms.
Famous members of the Round Table included Noel Coward, Dorothy Parker and Harpo Marx.
The 20s-inspired feline-sized outfits were all created by Ada Nieves, an animal fashion designer.
The Algonquin Hotel has provided homes for 12 stray cats since the 1930s, after the hotel’s general manager Frank Case welcomed a hungry stray called Billy inside.
Since July 2017, the hotel has been home to Hamlet, who mostly hangs out in the lobby.
We hope that the feline models enjoyed this cat fashion show and fundraiser as much as their human underlings did.
You can read more about the work that the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals charity does here.
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