For three weeks, cat owners all over Sweden have had the opportunity to nominate their cat for Lussekatt of the Year. The press agency, which is behind the competition, estimates that thousands of cats have been nominated and that hundreds of thousands of votes have been sent into the competition.
In the end, one-eyed Selma from Aspudden was named Lussekatt of the Year. A twelve-year-old cat who has been involved in a lot. Selma collected a whopping 53,000 votes.
– She has lost an eye. She has broken her jaw, perhaps in a car accident or a bicycle accident, we don’t really know, says Selma’s mother Johanna.
– You sometimes get a slightly crooked smile from her, adds the owner Simon.
Has lived an eventful life
Selma’s life is taken from Pelle Svanslös. She originally comes from Gothenburg, where she lived as an outdoor cat. But after the accident where she lost her eye, she has instead lived her life in the safe corner of the home. During her twelve years on earth, she has managed to become a mother to as many as eleven children and she has also taken two dogs under her wing.
Husband and wife, Johanna and Simon, knew exactly how to go about it to maximize Selma’s chances of winning, even if it was mostly done as a fun thing.
– Just like many other cat parents, we are very proud of our cat and think she is very cute and nice. We sent in Selma’s contribution on a Friday evening and thought that “now we should be out early” so that we have a chance – and it worked out, says Johanna.
“Some like luscious cat without raisins, others like two. Selma only has one, but she’s still pretty!” ran Selma’s winning justification.
“A unique character”
Selma has belonged to Johanna since childhood. But even Simon believes that there is something very special about the one-eyed cat.
– I am very happy that Selma is now also a part of my life, since we moved in together. She is truly a unique character, says Simon.
One of the character traits has led to Simon and Johanna having to take down the apartment’s doorbell. Namely, Selma tends to keep some things to herself.
– She learned that this dome, that it sounds and emits a metallic sound. We couldn’t keep it because she rang it in the middle of the night, so we thought it was someone coming to visit, says Simon.
Whether there will be any more media appearances for Selma remains to be seen, Johanna announces.
– Otherwise, she may only appear once a year during Lucia time.