Former stray cat struts her stuff on cat food label

By Jackie Loohauis-Bennett of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Mar. 25, 2009

Morris' nine lives as a pet food icon played out long ago. But now a Milwaukee feline has been cat-apulted to fame as the model on a national cat food can label.

Asia-Veau, who lives in Milwaukee with her owner, Margaret Karpen, is the cat pictured on Purina Friskies' new senior-formula canned food, as the face of Friskies salmon, chicken and tuna, turkey, and lamb and rice flavors.

It's a rags-to-riches story for this Ragdoll kitty.

"Asia was a street cat I brought home," Karpen said. "We started showing her as a kitten, and she didn't like it, so she became a house cat."

Ah, but those whiskers! That mackerel coloring evocative of - what else? - salmon and tuna! With a face that dispels the concept finicky, 10-year-old Asia was a natural for a senior cat food promotion.

Karpen had submitted Asia's photo to animal talent scout Bill Casey of Animal Talent of Chicago, and it turned out that this kitty had just the look Purina had been searching catwalks for.

"She had a look, a nice color. No dark patch covering her eye or expression," said Casey, who scouted out about 200 animals for the job.

Purina has been delighted with Asia's work.

"Asia is the perfect example of a senior Friskies cat," Purina spokeswoman Julie Kahn said. "She's vital, curious and adventurous.

"True friskiness isn't a matter of age. It comes from within, and Asia shows this at her playful, frisky best."

So how is Asia taking her celebrity?

"I'd say she's enjoying it," Karpen said. "Her family certainly is. It's a blast going to the store and showing people the can and saying, 'That's my cat!'

"How many people must wonder where these cats come from? Well, they aren't entirely made up on some computer."

Asia will make an appearance at the Cat Fanciers Cat Show on June 13 and 14 at Hart Park in Wauwatosa.

Karpen said her other cat, Einstein, is set to appear on Discover Card's line of cat credit cards and on Pfizer's Revolution flea and tick medication packages this spring.

SOURCE: JS ON LINE

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