Ms. Marple, a Centralia cat, has been entered in America’s Favorite Pet, a nationwide pet competition for both cats and dogs.
The winning pet and their owner get $10,000, a professional photoshoot and a feature in Modern Cat or Modern Dog magazine.
Ms. Marple is owned by Emily Fitzgerald, a Centralia resident and editor with The Chronicle.
The competition is hosted by actor, producer and New Kids on the Block singer Donnie Wahlberg, and actress, host and advocate Jenny McCarthy, according to the America’s Favorite Pet website.
America's Favorite Pet is partnered with Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to aid in its mission to help cats, dogs and wild animals thrive in happy, healthy homes or in their natural habitats. According to America's Favorite Pet’s website, it has unified more than 130,000 cats and dogs with loving families since 1967, and nurtured more than 140,000 sick, injured and orphaned critters.
For more information on PAWS, visit https://www.paws.org/.
Ms. Marple had a rough start to life. She was adopted and returned to a shelter before finding her home in Centralia, but maintained a strong personality and willingness to love and be loved, according to her page on the contest’s website.
Ms. Marple's favorite toy is her laser pointer, which she will chase in tight circles and run into walls to catch. She also loves collecting stuffies and other toys from around the house to arrange in neat lines, the website stated. As a reward for being such a good hunter, she gets Temptations or Greenies crunchy treats.
Ms. Marple can instantly go from a predator to a snugglebug just by wrapping her in a warm blanket, the description stated. She has energy and loves to play, but can't resist a cozy nap.
Fitzgerald has found her burrowing into bed to get under the covers, and has been able to get her settled down by building her a nest and tucking her in. Ms. Marple also makes the best biscuits: blanket in her mouth and each leg kneading independently.
Ms. Marple was adopted from Kitty Kat Haven in Chehalis in January 2025. Kitty Kat Haven is a cage-free, no-kill, adult-only cat sanctuary, according to its website. They specialize in giving adult cats with prior adoption difficulties another chance to find a home.
To learn more about Kitty Kat Haven, visit https://kittykathaven.org/.
For more information on Ms. Marple, visit https://tinyurl.com/yc8sxtfx.
Public voting began on Jan. 5. Anyone can vote once per day, with 10 rounds lasting through March 12 to determine one winning cat and one winning dog.
For more information on America’s Favorite Pet Contest, visit https://americasfavpet.com/.
Is your animal in the contest? If so, email photos and details to news@chronline.com.
