• Courtesy
• Goose

A Vermont cat is competing in a national contest that will crown "America's Favorite Pet."

Goose, an orange tabby who lives in South Burlington with owner Alyssa Bohack, is in the middle of a competition that began in January and will end with one cat and one dog named as champions. Anyone can enter, but Bohack thought Goose, one of her six cats, had a legitimate shot at taking the title.

"I think his profile picture really gets attention," Bohack said. "He's got a little heart-shaped nose."

Colossal Management organizes the annual contest in support of the Progressive Animal Welfare Society, a national rescue group. Entrants upload multiple images of their pet to a voting website and answer a series of questions about the animal's personality. So far, Goose has won four rounds of voting in the cat division. The Paw Print, a pet calendar company, also chose Goose to appear as "Mr. September" after seeing his entry.

People can vote once a day for free, with additional votes requiring a $1 donation to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society. Bohack has been rallying support for her furry friend, whom she started fostering when he was 8 weeks old. The two bonded quickly.

"I mean, after six weeks with an orange, fuzzy kitten, how do you not adopt them?" Bohack said.

Goose is named after a character in the 1986 movie Top Gun.

"He's my little wingman," Bohack explained. "Goose follows me from room to room."

The winner will appear on the cover of Modern Cat magazine and receive a $10,000 prize.

If the South Burlington kitty is the victor, Bohack said, she'll donate some of the prize money to the Humane Society of Chittenden County, do some home improvements and, of course, "spoil Goose."

To vote, visit americasfavpet.com/2024/goose-4396.