Purrmance! Cat and Bro contest seeks most 'purrmantic' story

A man in Lunenburg, N.S., wants you to vote for him and his cat. 

Philip Aulenbach and Butter are competing in a nation-wide contest, called Cat and Bros, in support of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies based in Ottawa. The federation hopes to raise $50,000 to increase awareness about overcrowded cat shelters in Canada, and to support low-cost spay-neuter programs across the country, 

The federation also hopes Canadians will think about cats as having just as much value as other pets. The Cat and Bros contest focuses on men in order to challenge the stereotype that cats are a woman's pet.

How it works

Men send in a photograph of them posing with their cat, and the story of their  "purrmance" (meaning their relationship with their cat).  The public then votes online for their favourite pair. Each vote costs $1. The top 13 cats and bros will be part of the the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies'  2016 calendar.

When asked how you know when you've got a purrmance, rather than a cat that just lives with you, Aulenbach answers thoughtfully. 

"Cat love is hard to get. When you've won them over, when they're cuddling or purring with you and when they recognize you when you come home or come running to the door like our cat does ... then he does a roll over on his back."

Cat love is hard to get- Philip Aulenbach talking about his cat Butter

Aulenbach and his husband Michael Best adopted Butter from a shelter eight years ago. They were smitten with the cat right away.  

Aulenbach says he and Butter look alike. "He's a ginger with a freckles and a little nose, a bit of a big belly, and he also likes to snore when he sleeps, as do I."

Unfortunately, a couple of years after they adopted Butter, the cat became ill with a urinary tract blockage. The vet gave the couple two options: euthanize Butter, or undergo a life-saving major surgery where cat's penis would be removed. 

The bad news came on Aulenbach's birthday and Gay Pride Day. Rather than have a sad day, Aulenbach and Best decided to go ahead with the $3,000 surgery, joking that the cat would have "gender reassignment surgery."

Aulenbach says he and Best didn't have that much extra money, but felt a responsibility to the cat. He says it bothers him that some people question why anyone would spend that much money on a cat. However, he says, if Butter were a dog most people wouldn't question the expense.

Aulenbach is competing against many other cat-and-bro teams, including Nova Scotia movie and television actor Mike Smith, who is best known for his role as Bubbles in the Trailer Park Boys.