Where Are They Now? Fame Finds Trinny Once More!

Just over five years ago, a sweet-natured stray cat named Trinny (then known as Mimi) was brought to Dakin. She had significant injuries to her tail and her front left leg and quickly settled in for what became a lengthy stay until she would be ready for adoption.

Around that time, Dakin animal care staff and volunteers were busy learning the Cat Pawsitive Pro (CPP) program offered through the Jackson Galaxy Project. The program was created to offer enrichment to shelter cats and teach them tricks to make them more attractive to adopters. Dakin staff and volunteers taught kitties like Trinny to do simple things like offer a slow blink, or more elaborate tricks like jumping through a hoop.

During our training, we learned that the Jackson Galaxy Project would be celebrating National High Five Day in the weeks ahead by picking a photo or video of a cat high-fiving a human from nationwide submissions. The winner would claim a cash prize as well as donated pet food.

Despite the pain in her front left leg, Trinny was game enough to learn how to give high-fives, even using that problem leg. A couple of weeks before the contest deadline, she had to undergo an emergency amputation when her leg worsened. After a week of recovery, our fearless girl was back in action, balancing herself on her back paws to rear up and deliver a high five with her remaining front paw. Her talent was captured on video, and on April 19, the Jackson Galaxy Project announced that the winner of its contest was Trinny! This video includes the announcement, as well as photos and videos of several kitties, including Trinny (or Mimi, her name at that time) as they learned their tricks.

Soon after the contest, Trinny was adopted by Benny into a loving home in Connecticut, where she settled nicely into a life of love and luxury.  But fame wasn’t done with her.

Benny, a client of the Happy Cat Hotel & Spa in Windsor, CT, received a call from them asking if Trinny could be featured in a video they would soon be shooting to promote their property. “Sometimes Trinny stays at the Happy Cat Hotel when I have to travel for work, and she is everyone’s favorite there,” Benny explained. “They thought they’d ask their best performers to be part of the video.” Benny was offered a complimentary three-night stay for Trinny (in her favorite room) for the shoot, which she accepted.

The end result shows several of the Happy Cat Hotel & Spa four-footed clients at their cutest, but keep your eyes on the 1:53 mark when the lovely and talented three-footed Trinny makes her second big-time video appearance navigating a mid-air ramp!

Trinny's star power continues to shine.