It's official - a cat has won The Tennessean's Pet of the Week.
Sophie, from Pawster Nashville, took home the first-time feline honors with 36% of the vote.
She was one of 11 cat and dog nominees across the Middle Tennessee region included in the poll from Sept. 2-7. The Tennessean runs weekly Pet of the Week polls, launching each Wednesday. Voting happens through the following Monday.
The newspaper is taking a little break this week because of the Labor Day holiday on Monday. We will return with a new poll and nominees on Sept. 16.
This week's nominees came from shelters in Davidson, Montgomery, Putnam, Rutherford, and Wilson Counties.
Sophie was the only nominee not up
for adoption and lived with a foster parent through Pawster Nashville.
"Sophie would like to thank all her fans for voting her as Pet of the Week," Pawster said. "She couldn’t have done it without her sister Shadow, and her amazing Pawster Foster mom, Annabelle. She can’t wait to go home at the end of the month, but in the meantime, she is so grateful for a safe place to stay while her family gets back on their feet.”
Pawster described Sophie as a lover of napping in the sun. She also enjoys playing with her sister, the organization said.
The first runner-up in the poll was Shakira, a two-year-old dog at New Leash on Life in Lebanon.
Second runner-up went to Baby Girl, a playful Rottweiler and Shepherd mix at the Montgomery County Animal Care and Control.
Other nominees from Montgomery County were Arthur, a male hound mix, and Lyla, a Great Pyrenees mix, both with the county's Animal Care and Control.
Valak, a three-month-old female kitten, was also under the Montgomery County umbrella, located at Puurrrfect Paws Rescue in Clarksville.
Cassie, a seven-year-old Chiweenie, was available at Montgomery County's Tennessee Dachshund Rescue.
Rutherford County PAWS in Murfreesboro nominated Sprout, a two and a half year old dog described as a friendly companion who gives a little "hug" when meeting people.
New Leash on Life in Lebanon submitted several nominees aside from Shakira.
Edie, 10 years old, and Ruffles, 10 months old, were two cats nominated by the organization. Edie is even reported to be popular on TikTok.
Be sure to keep up with future Pet of the Week nominations every week at The Tennessean.
Sarah Best is a reporter for the Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing at jacksonsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Meet Sophie: The friendly feline & Tennessean's Pet of the Week winner
