A 3-year-old cat has won a “Garfield Look-Alike” contest, and even at a quick glance, it’s clear why this little one took home the prize.
On May 18, 2024, an orange cat named Hara took home the title win in a Garfield look-alike competition, and it’s a very deserving win. Take a look!
According to The Star News, cat parents of orange cats gathered at a mall in Sepang, Malaysia, to find the best lookalike for the beloved Garfield character.
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More than 100 cats entered the competition, and one clear winner came out on top, a 3-year-old orange cat named Hara.
Hara’s dad, Adam Zailani, told The Star that when he first adopted his kitten, he didn’t look like Garfield. But he totally grew into his look and looked more like the beloved, grumpy cat.
“It’s very funny because when we first adopted Hara, Hara just looked like any other cat,” he shared.
“I didn’t realise that he actually [has a] very unique face despite not [being] any breed because he is actually just a stray cat.”
Now, Hara, at three years old, is still very much an orange cat, but he’s also very round, especially his face, and his neutral look has a grumpy feel to it. Hara could absolutely play the lead role if there were ever a live-action production of Garfield.
What struck Adam as interesting about this competition versus ones he’s seen before is this competition did not exclusively only accept certain kinds of cats.
“Most of the cat competitions are between expensive breeds type of cats, which is most often cat owners feel not included,” Adam shared.
“But this time around I just feel like this is a very good opportunity for Hara, which is just a stray cat, to join this kind of competition.”
Interesting Facts About ‘Garfield’
According to Wag! the very first Garfield comic came out in 1978, debuting as a three-panel design with the beloved cat and his human parent, Jon Arbuckle.
Garfield is an orange tabby cat who walks on all fours, is a little rounder than other cats, and has very sleepy-looking eyeballs. He’s also very sarcastic and absolutely loves to eat lasagna.
“Garfield has adored lasagna since he was a kitten and is often seen with a box of the cheesy pasta dish in the comic strips,” the Wag! shares. “He orders an average of 50 boxes of lasagna each week and splurges even more on his birthday.”
According to MyWaggle, there is also a National Garfield Day, celebrated on June 19. This makes sense since Garfield holds a Guinness World Record for being the most widely syndicated comic strip to date.
“Garfield has appeared in nearly 2,600 newspapers and journals, reaching a staggering readership of 260 million people globally,” the site explains. “Its wide range of popularity has led to the creation of television shows, movies, merchandise, and even video games.”
Congratulations to Hara for this fun win!
