The Washington Capitals’ Canine Calendar is routinely a hit for the adorable puppies it captures in gloss.
But this year, one furry attendee stole the show and he wasn’t even photographed for the calendar.
You guys, meet Arthur the Cat.
The star of today’s Capitals Pet Calendar photoshoot pic.twitter.com/n8cxOyRJMq
— RMNB (@rmnb) October 4, 2022
Arthur is a white-and-tan, four-month-old cat whom the Wolf Trap Animal Rescue staff considers one of their own.
Throughout the photoshoot, Arthur became a bit of a fan favorite, receiving significant attention from Capitals center Nic Dowd and his son Louie.
Nic Dowd and his son Louie meet Arthur the kitten 🐈
(Yeah, we totally know the cat’s name now.) pic.twitter.com/nhIGUybELF
— RMNB (@rmnb) October 4, 2022
Nicklas Backstrom’s daughter Alizee also ended up cuddling with the furball.
Not sure how Nicklas Backstrom is leaving this photoshoot without the kitten. His daughter seems to have fallen in love. pic.twitter.com/wG9z9pKKKP
— RMNB (@rmnb) October 4, 2022
While Arthur is super adorable, he is not available for adoption simply because he’s so close and too important to the team at WTAR.
“We’ve had Arthur since he was three days old!” WTAR’s Jenny Campanilla said. “He was found with his litter in the Walmart trash can out in Front Royal, Virginia. I had to bottle feed him and he’s the only one in the litter that survived. He was basically raised by dogs which is why he’s super chill around them and is now our little ‘intern’ at work.”
For instance, Arthur encouraged and gave confidence to Romance the kitten who posed in a photo with Dmitry Orlov.
“Romance does kind of take the lead from Arthur which is why she did well at the event,” Jenny said. “She’s a six-week-old domestic shorthair kitten. She also has microphthalmia which means one eyeball is smaller than the other.”
Jenny shared with me a photo from a recent Washington Commanders event, which captures Romance’s condition.
As for Arthur, his patience and help were appreciated by players and their families alike.
Though the claws did come out once.
Nice to meet you, Arthur! Thank you for your service.
Photos: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
