Lifestyle Pets Cat Serves as a Model for Target Nearly 2 Years After It Was Rescued from a Minnesota Rest Stop The feline, named Hercules, was paid $100 for the modeling gig By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 24, 2024 09:00AM EDT Close A stock image of a cat posing for a photograph. Photo: Getty Talk about the cat's meow! A cat that was rescued from a Minnesota rest stop nearly two years ago has now served as a model for Target, according to CBS affiliate WCCO. The feline, named Hercules, was part of a group of 47 others that were found in a car at a Chisago County rest stop in June 2022, the outlet said. When the local sheriff's department and Animal Humane Society arrived on the scene to bring the cats to vets and shelters, Hercules slipped away, WCCO reported. Volunteers from Tuff Start Rescue eventually found him a month later, the outlet said. Texas Cat Pulled from the Edge of a Busy Highway Overpass and Is Saved 'Against All Odds' WCCO noted that the animal's fur was "drenched in urine" and he was "motionless" and "near death" at the time of his rescue. It added that Hercules had a severe jaw fracture, as well as a maggot infestation that went through his cheek tissue. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A Target store in Houston, Texas. Getty Zappa the Instagram Model Cat Is Inspired by Gigi Hadid and Has the Closet to Prove It Per WCCO, Dr. Nicole Perreault, an employee at St. Francis Vet Clinic in Isanti, helped provide aid to the feline through multiple surgeries. "With his referral care and everything, we are probably $12,000 in on him," Perreault told the outlet. "We basically say they are worth every penny." 'Adventurous' Cat Hiding in Vehicle's Engine Is Saved from Car Crusher with Seconds to Spare After Hercules was healed, Perreault reached out to her friend Jill LeBrun, a registered nurse, to adopt the animal. according to WCCO. "It was love at first sight," LeBrun said. Later on, when an animal talent agency was looking for unique cats, LeBrun told WCCO, "I sent them a picture of Hercules and they wanted him for the photo shoot — and then he did great." The feline earned $100 for the gig, per the outlet, and "got called back for a second photo shoot," LeBrun said.