N.J.'s Top Pet: Meet the underdog who's actually a rabbit

Say hello to Cleopatra, Maggie and Ringo, all vying for the coveted title of N.J.'s Top Pet Watch video

We've spent the past week visiting pets all across New Jersey -- dogs, cats and other mammals -- so readers can get to know the 10 finalists in our N.J.'s Top Pet competition a little better. 

As demonstrated by public votes, these animal companions wowed readers enough to advance to the next segment of competition, or impressed our staff enough to make the two wildcard positions. This week, we're profiling each pet ahead of the final vote. The winner will be bestowed with the coveted titled of N.J.'s Top Pet. 

Here are the first three pet profiles in the bunch, representing three of our voting categories from the first round -- medium and large dogs, small dogs and non-dog and cat pets. Here you can learn about the people behind the animals, their home life and more. Watch the video for more insights from the owners about why their pets should win N.J.'s Top Pet. 

Cleopatra the rabbit

You might easily mistake Cleopatra, a 4-year-old double maned lionhead rabbit, for a Pomeranian, given her preponderance of fluff. But no, "Queen Cleo," as owner Didier Jimenez calls her, is a rabbit through and through.

Jimenez, 28, of Hillsborough, is an administrator of the New Jersey Bunny Owners Facebook group and says he developed his love of animals growing up on a farm in Costa Rica. Weighing in at 4 pounds of fluff, Cleopatra is his pride and joy. Jimenez outfits the rabbit in various hats and bows to fit the occasion. She even had a "pussy hat" for the Women's March. 

"She's really good at sleeping, eating and being fluffy," he says of his rabbit, who consumes pellets and lettuce in addition to "Fiji water and the finest hay," Jimenez says. Hopping around her cage or set loose for some playtime or an impromptu rabbit fashion show, she's mostly quiet, but if she sees Jimenez eating a banana, she'll let out a little grunt. 

Cleopatra is a 'progressive bunny,' says owner Didier Jimenez. At the campaign office for Bernie Sanders, she was known as 'Bunny Sanders.' (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

In addition to being a "diva" and "too much," Cleopatra, who has her own Instagram page, is a "progressive bunny," says Jimenez, who works in homeless prevention for Catholic Charities and was a Bernie Sanders supporter in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. At a local Sanders campaign office, Cleopatra was known as "Bunny Sanders."

"She's fantastic at making people smile," Jimenez says. 

A local photographer also recently hired Cleo to pose with children in Easter photos. Jimenez has high hopes for Cleo in the N.J.'s Top Pet final, even though she may not be the type of rabbit most readers know. 

"When they think of a bunny, they think of a generic bunny," he says. "She's an underdog and I will always cheer for an underdog." 

Maggie the dog

Blake and Noelle Havekes don't know exactly what kind of dog Maggie is, or her precise age (they figure she's about 5), they just know that she's some kind of Shetland sheepdog mix. But when they adopted her in 2012, they didn't care about that so much as saving her life. Maggie, found in Georgia suffering from neglect in an outdoor cage, was supposed to be euthanized within days. 

"They had it scheduled, it was awful," says Noelle Havekes, 37, of Rockaway, a retail merchandizer who lives in Rockaway with her husband Blake, 37, an electrician. They heard about Maggie through Eleventh Hour Rescue, a Randolph organization that extricates dogs from kill shelters. 

Maggie, pictured here with her owner, Blake Havekes of Rockaway, sports features of different breeds including the sheltie, most noticeably on her ears. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Maggie got her fresh start when she came home with Blake and Noelle, where they taught her how to play, that it's OK to eat when they're in the room, and that they wouldn't leave her forever if they walked out the door. At first, Maggie seemed to fear her new owners would abandon her, so they began bringing her everywhere they went -- even on trips to Atlantic City casinos.

Today she'll lend you a paw if you ask and playfully presides over the household ("She thinks she's his wife," Noelle says of Blake and Maggie's special relationship) and accompanies Noelle and Blake on hikes and trips to the beach at Sandy Hook. 

Blake calls her their "big, hairy kid," and she's a big hit with children in their neighborhood. Noelle thinks her fluffy ears are her best quality -- "She's like seven different dogs all smushed together," she says.

Why should she win N.J.'s Top Pet? 

"She's just like most Jersey people," Blake says. "Smart, and like, quick to the pace."

Noelle has another reason. 

"I love that she's so resilient," she says. "Dogs have an amazing capacity to forgive." 

Ringo the dog

Named for Ringo of the Beatles and the band's song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," Ringo Maxwell Kaplan is a toy Australian shepherd (the breed actually originated in the American West). For this dog, every hour of the day is playtime, but especially when his owners, lawyers Brooke and Jordan Kaplan, come home from work. 

Born on Christmas Day 2012, Ringo, now 4 1/2 years old, loves to cavort around the backyard, effortless spurting through the grass to retrieve a ball or toy, then clamoring for Brooke or Jordan to throw it out again. He's a master of tricks -- he jumps or sits on command, rolls over, gives kisses and high-fives.

Ringo, seen here with Jordan and Brooke Kaplan at home in Scotch Plains, will give kisses on command, but also when he just feels like it. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

"We trained him entirely ourselves," says Jordan Kaplan, 29, of Scotch Plains. Dogs of his breed are sometimes called "Velcro dogs," because they will stick close to their owner's side. When Jordan and Brooke are at opposite ends of the house, Ringo will shuttle between them until his owners reunite. 

Another quirk is that Ringo will approach someone right after they sneeze, as if to take care of them. 

"He gets a lot of attention, but he demands it," says Brooke Kaplan, 27, of her dog, who, weighing in at 12 pounds, was born the runt of his (already miniature) litter and functioned as a stress reliever during her time at law school. He doesn't love interacting with other dogs, but eagerly meets new people. 

"He thinks he's a big dog," she says, and often demonstrates the innate "herding" abilities of his breed by corralling all of this many toys into a pile.