A gray-and-white cat in Minnesota is getting his star turn as a Target model and a second (or ninth) life after being rescued two years ago from a hot car.
Dr. Nicole Perreault, a veterinarian at St. Francis Veterinary Clinic in Isanti and founder and president of Tuff Start Rescue, first met Hercules the cat, a domestic shorthair, after good Samaritans brought him into the clinic in July 2022.
"When he got to us, his jaw was severely fractured, his temperature wouldn't read, he had a severe maggot infestation in his mouth, his ears, everywhere. And then, some other pretty horrific details," Perreault told "Good Morning America" of Hercules' condition at the time.
Perreault said she wasn't sure at first whether Hercules would be able to make it.
"It was like a visceral pain when I looked at him and [I] wondered, OK, what do we do here? What's the most humane [thing to do?] but then he lifted his head and looked at me," Perreault recalled. "And I thought, 'OK, you have survived all this time to make it to this clinic and this rescue.' So I was like, we're gonna give this a shot."
According to Perreault, Hercules required multiple medical treatments, including jaw surgeries, to stabilize his jaw.
"He required a lot of medical care. We were using this special ointment on all of his wounds. He needed special consistency for food, around-the-clock meds, and things like that to make sure he was comfortable," Perreault explained.
Perreault shared Hercules' story on social media, which then caught the attention of Jill LeBrun, a registered nurse in St. Paul. By August 2022, LeBrun was fostering Hercules.
"I like to foster cats that have some medical issues because it's kind of in my wheelhouse," she told "GMA."
LeBrun said Hercules quickly adapted to her home and got along with her two cats and one-year-old puppy. Then, when one of LeBrun's cats unexpectedly died a few months into Hercules' stay, she said she knew adopting Hercules was meant to be.
Today, LeBrun said Hercules, who is estimated to be about 10 years old, loves company, visiting others, watching birds flutter outside, and indulging in cat treats.
"He's a 10-year-old cat with this traumatic history and yet he just entered and stayed in our home effortlessly," LeBrun said. "There is no sign that he has been through any trauma."
Last year, LeBrun noticed a local animal talent agency was looking for cats "with unique faces" for a photoshoot and she submitted Hercules for consideration.
"I figured with [Hercules'] tongue always hanging out, that made him somewhat unique. So I submitted his photo," LeBrun recalled.
LeBrun said Hercules was called in for a photoshoot and then in February, she said she was walking at a Target store when she noticed a familiar face.
"I got to the cat litter aisle and all of a sudden, the whole aisle was like, Hercules' face on all the rows of cat litter pails," LeBrun recalled. "There was another woman in the aisle looking for products and I had to stop myself from looking over at her and being like, 'That's my cat!'"
"It was super exciting. And I took some pictures and then I straightened all the pails up," she added.
Target declined to comment when reached by "GMA."
LeBrun said she hopes Hercules' story will encourage others to consider fostering or adopting rescue animals.
"All animals are really very different but you never know and I think giving them a chance is smart because you never know what you'll miss out on," LeBrun said.
