Published Apr 20, 2025
Simplycats.org
At a cat adoption center in Boise, Idaho, the resident mascot – a buff tabby tuxedo named Crash – holds the honor of the only cat to ever serve as the Cadbury Egg “Bunny.” And he will even put on his cute rabbit ears sometimes!
Crash’s journey started with a trauma that inspired his name back in November 2018. One morning, just as Patty Cutler, executive director of Simply Cats, was coming into work, she spotted a cat lying in the middle of the road. A car had hit the cat, and Cutler wasn’t sure he was still alive.
But, she pulled over to help, and the cat scurried under her car. Cutler brought the cat into the shelter, where the veterinary staff gave him immediate, lifesaving care. Then, shelter staff moved the cat to a different clinic to get more intensive care. They knew the seriously injured cat – with a broken left front leg, a broken jaw, and right eye popped out the socket – faced a serious battle to survive, but he was worth it.
“As long as he was continuing to fight and doing well, they were willing to give him a chance to fight,” says Jenn Hernandez, outreach and fundraising coordinator for Simply Cats.
“He definitely put up quite the fight,” Hernandez says in an interview with Cats.com. “It was quite the journey getting him back to the state he is in now.
A few months later, Crash was recovered from the accident. The shelter staff loved him so much that they decided to keep him as the resident mascot for Simply Cats.
Then, in 2023, shelter employee Maddie Corey saw on social media that someone in Boise had entered a dog in the Cadbury Bunny contest, which was open to animals other than bunnies. Those iconic commercials, traditionally with the clucking rabbit promoting candy Cadbury Easter eggs, are so cute!
Corey thought that Crash could win because he had been trained to pose for the camera and would give high-fives. Plus, the cat has such a friendly and easygoing purrsonality, so Corey thought he would make a great mascot. Corey submitted this tryout video.
And sure enough, in March 2023, Cadbury announced Crash as the winner of the fifth annual Cadbury Bunny Tryouts! That year was the Rescue Pets Edition, and Crash’s competition included a chinchilla, a duck, and a sheep. Crash starred in a commercial and many YouTube ads, and he won a total of $10,000 in cash, split into two $5,000 prizes, that went to Simply Cats.
Crash brought a lot of attention to Simply Cats, which hosted a meet-and-greet fundraising event where people could meet Crash in his bunny ears and get his “Pawtograph.”
“We are jumping with joy to hear Crash is the next Cadbury Bunny but not surprised, as he is always the center of attention in any room,” Corey said in the Cadbury press release. “He’s been through so much over the past few years and we appreciate the love his friends, family, and cat enthusiasts across the country have shown.”
Simplycats.org
In the 2024 tryouts, a racoon named Louie succeeded Crash as the Cadbury Bunny from a pool of finalists that included a rabbit, three cats, a dog, a horse, and even a lizard. It appears there was no 2025 contest, for some reason.
Two years after becoming the Cadbury Bunny, Crash lives a good life as the shelter mascot, who has his own cushy room where he retires to at 5 p.m. and loves to roam around the appointment-only facility and love on the humans there, Hernandez says. He likes to jump on people’s shoulders and wrap himself like a scarf around the neck. Crash also enjoys standing on his hind legs and giving high-fives.
Simplycats.org
“He has a quirky, friendly, really outgoing personality,” she says. “Everyone loves him and adores him. … He was just such a great fit.”
Every morning, Crash – nicknamed Crashie-Poo – gets up bright and early in his room, which has a cat tower and window perch. He enjoys visiting with other cats at the shelter, which has anywhere from about 40 to 80 felines at a given time. Crash, about 7 years old, is very friendly and laid back, and he approaches all staff members in search of affection.
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“We joke around that he is our little CEO,” Hernandez says.
Crash still does occasional appearances at events with his bunny ears, and the tabby gets lots of visitors at the quarterly open house events at Simply Cats.
What a blessing Crash has been to the shelter! He has helped bring attention to Simply Cats and the shelter’s mission, Hernandez says.
“He represents all we stand for: resilience and hope, helping wonderful cats and kittens who need us,” she says. “He’s also a reminder to the community that every cat is worth saving.”
Crash continues to raise funds for the shelter through t-shirts and other apparel with his image on them. You can order one here.