For most cat owners, the idea of successfully getting a cat into a costume remains a mere pipe dream (I only got as far as a hat). That's what makes the Annual Algonquin Cat Fashion Show so special; it is maybe the only place to see felines dressed to a specific theme—this time, the "Purring 20's," a reference to the Algonquin Hotel's literary history.
On Thursday night, cat fanciers coughed up $75 each to get into the show, with proceeds going toward the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals. The event featured numerous cats begrudgingly wearing elaborate outfits that reflected the designs of the time, like flapper headbands and drop waists. The mother of two models, Sake and Merlin, told WWD that her cats "absolutely love" the show. And those cats have done some real mental jujitsu on her, "I don’t teach them to be calm, they teach me that they are calm. They’ve shown me in their personalities that they are relaxed, and I listen to that. If you don’t listen to your cats’ personalities, then they’re just objects to you."
This was also the public debut of the Algonquin's new hotel cat, Hamlet the VIII, who is a young ginger American Shorthair. He used to be a street cat but now has his own private treehouse at the hotel and greets hotel guests when he feels like it.
