Encore Presentation: A Little Holiday Magic with Cyrus the Bodega Cat
"You were better for me than I was for myself."
One standby of the holiday season is that you can count on movies like It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, Elf, Scrooged, Home Alone, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Love Actually, among others, in heavy rotation from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
In the spirit of that holiday programming, today’s LAST CALL dispatch is a holiday encore presentation. I’ve lifted the paywall on the reader favorite story, “A Little Holiday Magic with Cyrus the Bodega Cat,” which originally ran in November 2022, and has made a return appearance on LAST CALL every holiday season since then. Hopefully its return will bring a smile to the face of longtime subscribers and for the many new readers here, enjoy.
To help support my work here and continue to keep the holiday string lights on at LAST CALL HQ in the New Year, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription or sharing a Gift Subscription—you can even select the date and time the recipient receives the good news.
—BTP
A Little Holiday Magic with Cyrus the Bodega Cat
Today’s Encore Presentation of “A Little Holiday Magic with Cyrus the Bodega Cat” (first published November 21, 2022) features one of my all-time favorite holiday commercials starring Cyrus, a sensitive bodega cat who brings “a little holiday magic” to his lonely caretaker on Christmas Eve.
When I first wrote the story I tried to track down the director of the commercial to interview without any luck, but after this ran, I received a comment and email from Elizabeth Whitlock, a North Carolina cat breeder specializing in Egyptian Mau and Savannah cats. As with child actors, Cyrus is played by two different cats, Tut Tut and Osiris, who are now among the working cats at Studio Animals in California. They continue to book work, and were standouts in the popular “Walter the Cat” Chevy Silverado commercial. “For that production, Chevy wanted average looking cats so through the magic of CG their spots are muted to look like average gray tabbies which do the still shots,” Whitlock told me. “The cats are a pair of very few working cats that can retrieve, dig in snow, and other trained action behaviors in the commercials.”
What are your favorite holiday movies or specials?
“Goodnight, Cyrus.”
In November 2017, the New York State Lottery ran a commercial to promote their holiday-themed scratch-off tickets that, each time it aired, nearly moved me to tears (and on some occasions actually did). In the spirit of Charlie Brown, people often feel melancholy during the holidays and I’m no exception. And I didn’t stand a chance as this commercial, featured a charming Brooklyn bodega cat named Cyrus. It proved so popular that they ran the campaign again for the 2018 holiday season, but since then the Christmas-themed Lottery ads in the New York market featured a menagerie of woodland creatures that just don’t land with the emotional impact that unforgettable cat named Cyrus.
And judging by comments on social media, it appears the “Bodega Cat” ad hit many others in the same manner:
“I never loved a commercial so much and no commercial ever made me well up or feel so hopeful! The best feel-good commercial that has ever existed!!!”
“I still cry every time it's on and wish Cyrus the cat were here to cuddle with me.”
“Cyrus is one Beautiful Cat. This commercial brings a Tear to my eye… Love You, Cyrus.”
“Well, I’m tearful at a NY Lottery commercial featuring a bodega cat Santa.”
“Bodega cat New York Lottery commercial is heartwarming AF.”
“Just saw a New York Lottery Christmas ad that featured a bodega cat delivering a lottery ticket to someone like Santa and now I'll be crying all day thanks.”
“I cried watching this on TV, and whenever I watch it again online or even think about it.”
“Please N.Y. Lottery NEVER STOP playing this Commercial it is SOOO Heartwarming for the Holidays!”
But last Sunday I was at my desk working on the next day’s LAST CALL dispatch, with the Seahawks-Buccaneers game playing on the TV in the background, when during a commercial break I heard a familiar voice say, “Goodnight, Cyrus,” and I turned my attention to the TV to see the original “Bodega Cat” holiday commercial airing once again. Was Cyrus back for the holidays for the five-year anniversary of the ad’s debut? I turned to Twitter to see if I had imagined it, and found my confirmation from none other than Desus Nice.
The “Bodega Cat” commercial is indeed back, and in heavy rotation. I seem to see it a lot on New York’s ABC affiliate (Channel 7) when I’m watching my stories (I only have General Hospital on in the background, I swear), and especially during Jeopardy! It is a shorter, edited version of the original one-minute ad, but I’ll take as much Cyrus as I can get.
Breaking Down “Bodega Cat”
First, if you haven’t already done so, please take a minute to watch the “Bodega Cat” commercial. I’ll wait…
It’s pretty special, right? Even if you’re not a cat person I think you’ll admit it has its undeniable charm.