Bhubaneswar, July 14: After several rounds of examinations and hundreds of votes from public, Jhumu, whose guardian is Simran Karmakar of Cuttack, has been named the second runner-up in the Cutest Rescued Cat Alive contest.
Jhumu edged out hundreds of other lovable cats to become one of 10 finalists of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India's Cutest Rescued Cat Alive contest.
The winner of the contest is Licky, whose guardian is Urshita Das of Calcutta, and the first runner-up is Candy, whose guardian is Aishwarya Patil of Pune.
"Jhumu proves that adopting a cat from the streets or an animal shelter can fill your life with joy and love that words can't express," says Peta CEO Manilal Valliyate.
Simran found the hungry and shivering kitten in her backyard. After receiving warmth and love, Jhumu has now taken a special place in the family and behaves like a queen, Simran said.
"She was just about a week old. We took many steps to make her comfortable," Simran added.
"I already had a dog as a pet and she made my dog her best friend. She goes for walks with him and sleeps with him," Simran said.
Peta India is holding the contest to encourage prospective guardians to adopt animals from the streets or shelters instead of buying them from pet shops or breeders, as these facilities often keep animals in dismal conditions and contribute to homeless-animal overpopulation crisis.
Simran will get a certificate, a cute cat toy for Jhumu, and a copy of Peta founder Ingrid Newkirk and Jane Ratcliffe's book One Can Make a Difference. The top three cats will appear in an upcoming issue of Animal Times, Peta's magazine.
An animal activist in the city said pet shops and breeders often keep animals in dismal conditions and contribute to homeless-animal overpopulation crisis by churning out more animals for profit. "Many animals bought from pet shops are bought on impulse and discarded when buyers get tired of them. Rescuing animals and providing them with new homes is the need of the hour," said Manisha Jena, animal activist.
