‘Fearless’ British shorthair cat voted cutest kitty in Tri-Cities. Meet Ginger
After two rounds of voting, Tri-Citians have crowned the cutest cat in the area.
Ginger, a British shorthair kitty from West Richland, claimed the top spot in the Tri-City Herald’s 2025 pet photo contest.
More than 700 votes were cast in the final round of voting, with nearly 500 for the 1-year-old kitty.
Who is the cutest cat in Tri-Cities?
Ginger is one of three British shorthairs that joined the Sanders household on Candy Mountain in August 2024.
The family of six adopted Ginger and her siblings from a breeder in Moses Lake, according to 20-year-old Sohila Sanders.
At first, the family picked up two cats from the breeder, Rosie and Stormi.
The next week, the Sanders saw Ginger’s listing and drove straight back to Moses Lake to get the final member of their family.
She was “like a little fuzzball” with hairs sticking out everywhere, Sohila Sanders said.
Despite being the smallest and youngest of the three, Ginger was the most fearless.
After moving in, the kittens started out just in one room, getting acquainted with their new space before getting full reign over the house.
From the jump, Ginger was the one who would greet each member of the family as they entered, immediately full of personality while the other kittens still warmed up to their new family, according to Sanders.
“She was just such a fearless kitten,” Sanders said.
This independence hasn’t waned. Ginger is one inquisitive cat, and she’ll do whatever she puts her mind to, according to one of her owners.
“She knows what she wants and will make it happen,” Sanders said.
What is Tri-City Herald pet contest winner like?
Sanders says Ginger is the best hunter of the three, that she’s very methodical with her every step.
“She has the funniest thinking face. You can see she’s thinking about her next move,” Sanders said. “She doesn’t move without thinking about it first.”
Ginger’s also the cleanest of the cats, constantly caring for her coat.
While she’ll accept pets when they’re given, she doesn’t often ask for them, and she doesn’t care much for being picked up.
If Ginger’s picked up, her owner said, she’ll immediately start grooming herself after being put down.
While none of the three cats are super cuddly, Sanders said, they all accept snuggles from the family from time-to-time. They’ve all bonded with each member of the family.
Sanders said Ginger is the smart one of the group, too. She’s figured out how to force doors open, bypass barriers and cause trouble, always passing on her mischievous knowledge to her two siblings.
Overall, Ginger is just “such a happy cat,” Sanders said.
Who are the cutest cat and dog in the US?
Cutest cat and dog contests are taking place at more than 20 McClatchy newspapers across the United States.
Ginger will now be entered into a second contest to determine the cutest dog in the country across more than 20 McClatchy newspapers, launching Monday, Nov. 10.