Our Cutest Cat Contest Winner

A furry round of applause for Goji, winner of New Jersey Monthly’s first Cutest Cat Contest, sponsored by Unique Photo. An expert of panel judges chose Goji as Cutest Cat from among 12 finalists in the six-week online competition.

Goji, named for a berry that is native to China, is a year-and-a-half old British short hair with lilac fur and amber eyes. Purchased from the Empire of Glamour Cattery in Quebec, Canada, Goji lives in Mahwah with his owner, Lynne Peters. “This is the first contest that I have entered him in,” says an overjoyed Peters.

Peters likens Goji to a dog. Every time she calls for him, he comes; and wherever she turns, his handsome face is there to greet her. “He is such a good cat, I don’t even know how to explain it,” says Peters.

When Goji isn’t playing tag and hide and seek, or pushing his ball around the house, he’s posing for the camera. He also loves being dressed up for the holidays. Having his own Instagram account (@empire_of_glamour_goji), gives Goji plenty of opportunities to show his photogenic side. In the mornings, Goji perches on top of Peters’ coffee maker eyeballing birds as they fly past the kitchen window. Peters finds her cuddly boy hilarious in every sense of the word.

“He is a wonderful companion and I am so lucky to have him in my life,” says Peters.

A total of 270 cats were entered in the competition throughout January on njmonthly.com, and more than 37,000 votes were cast on the website from February 1-15. The finalists were chosen based on the public vote and input from New Jersey Monthly editors.

Here are the 12 finalists in alphabetical order:

As winner, Goji will be professionally photographed and will appear with a full-page photo and bio in the April 2018 issue of New Jersey Monthly. And he gets to tell all his feline friends that he’s the champ!

Goji can thank our expert panel for his new title. The judges awarded points to each finalist based on five criteria: appeal of the cat, pose, photo quality, composition and originality. Goji earned a near-perfect 24 points from three of the judges and a winning total of 116 points out of a possible 125.

This year’s judges were Deborah Montgomery, marketing manager, Morris Animal Inn, Morristown; photographer/videographer Linda Bohm, Bohm-Marrazzo Studios, Boonton; professional groomer Kate McMahon, Middlesex County; Kristin Barber, Rahway Kitty Hall, a cafe showcasing cats available for adoption; and retired veterinarian Steve Stefanski, a supporter of cat welfare.

All cats entered in the competition received a faux New Jersey Monthly Cutest Cat cover with their name and image. The cats’ photos are on display in our Cutest Cat gallery. New Jersey Monthly donated a portion of each entry fee to Tabby’s Place, a cage-free sanctuary that provides refuge for cats rescued from hopeless situations.