A cat from Denton could be the next Cadbury Bunny.
Will O' Wisp is a 2-year-old polydactyl rescue cat. Polydactyl cats are born with a genetic mutation that gives them thumbs on their paws, kind of like little mittens.
"She has thumbs, which she does in fact use to get into things she shouldn't," says Will O's furmother, Sarah Elkins.
Will O' is one of ten finalists in this year's Cadbury Bunny contest.
The idea to enroll her in bunny tryouts was made on a whim, Elkins says. Her friend told her about the contest and she thought Will O' would have fun with it.
"She's cute and she loves taking photos," Elkins says. "So I entered her on kind of a whim. It was a last minute thing. And she got chosen to be in the Top 20. And then I submitted her little video and she got chosen to be in the Top 10."
Keep in mind, this is a national contest. Will O' is the only animal from Texas, and the only cat, competing.
"She's up against a pretty well known therapy dog in Ohio," Elkins says. "And then she's up against a mini horse ... that has basically a million followers. So she has some really tough competition there because she's just a local kitty."
Money raised during the contest goes to help animals in need. The winner also gets $5,000. If they win, Elkins says they'll use some of the money on vet bills and will donate the rest to the Ukraine Animal Fund. She says it would be great to appear in the Cadbury commercial as well, and raise awareness about polydactyl cats.
If Will O' wins, she'll be the first cat to take on the title of Cadbury Bunny. But, whatever happens, Elkins says it's an honor to compete.
"It's just been really fun," she says. "Denton is such a small, kind of eclectic town. They rose up, they love her ... and it's just fun to see it."
As for Will O', Elkins says she's already "living the dream."
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD