I recently blogged about taking Nougat and Ganache to a photo shoot for advertising. Just a few days later, I drove to New York City for a Target job. Yes, Nougat got hired for bill board ads for the big chain store.

I summed up my courage and loaded up Nougat for the trip to the Big Apple. Ganache went along for the ride. My friend Erica Ramus of Ramus Realty in Pottsville also went with me. She is an excellent navigator and support system! Between OnStar and Erica, we got into the city with no problem, even stopping for a quick breakfast on the way.

I had specific instructions from the animal talent agent where to park to unload the vehicle: in the street with flashers on. Oh boy, I really am a country bumpkin these days. So, I did what I was told, met the agent on the sidewalk and she helped navigate both cats on a dolly through the revolving doors, up the elevator to the twelfth floor and to the studio where the ad shoot was.

Meanwhile, Erica was stuck driving my large SUV through the city to the assigned parking garage. When she got there, it was full. The attendant told her the SUV was too big. Erica is a resourceful, capable woman, but even SHE didn’t want to back somebody else’s car out of the garage into city traffic. Thankfully, the attendant backed it out for her and she was left to find a place to put the Tahoe. Eventually, she found a spot on the street and went about the city to meet a friend.

Back at the studio, I was overwhelmed by the large space assigned to the shoot. Models, wardrobe, stylists, seamstress, props, caterer, technicians, photographers and me, along with two cats in this HUGE white space. Fortunately, there were two kittens there as well that had been photographed earlier. I was directed where to unpack and get the cats settled. The animal talent agent was there to hold my hand and make sure I didn’t make an idiot of myself.

After the cats were settled in, the call came for Nougat to go to the set. I placed him on a large white table on a Roomba, one of those robot vacuum cleaners. The job was for him to be photographed sitting on the Roomba. No problem. They took some test shots and sent him back to his “dressing room.”

So, I waited. While I waited, lunch was served; it was delicious! Kale and beet salad, tilapia on skewers, turkey meatballs on something or other. Everything was wonderful. I opened a cooler for a soda and not only was there soda, there was wine for lunch! I passed on the alcohol. After lunch, I got the word from the agent that Nougat was fired. She said it more kindly than that. Apparently, he was too big for the shot they wanted. Keep in mind, they knew how big he was when he was hired, but it was important that the Roomba have more visibility in the picture.

The director even came over to me to tell me the cat was wonderful, just not what they needed. I think he was afraid I would be upset. I told him that it was no problem, the cat doesn’t care and Nougat gets a check either way (which is true).

I texted Erica that I was ready to go. She had just ordered lunch; it was restaurant week in NYC. No problem, we could wait. I took my time packing up the cats and their stuff. It took a bit of time to get down to the ground level and pass back through the revolving door. Then we waited on the street. People in the city bustled by without a second glance to the woman standing on the sidewalk with two cats in carriers on a dolly.

The trip home was uneventful. We missed rush hour since Nougat was fired. I get to file this experience under my belt as a interesting look into another world, a fun day with a friend, and a mommy and me day with the cats.