Monopoly: Cat replaces iron in board game overhaul

Fans of Monopoly have voted to replace the iron with a cat-shaped playing piece in the popular board game.

Following a month-long online poll, toy maker Hasbro said the feline design had beaten competition from a robot, helicopter, diamond ring and a guitar.

"I think there were a lot of cat lovers in the world that reached out," said Hasbro's Jonathan Berkowitz.

It is the first time fans have had a say on which of the eight tokens to keep and which to lose.

"Tokens are always a key part of the Monopoly game... and our fans are very passionate about their tokens, about which token they use while they play," Mr Berkowitz added.

Scottie dog

The Scottie dog was the clear favourite with fans from more than 120 countries who took part in the contest to decide which token should be saved, eventually securing 29% of the vote.

While the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck in the final hours of voting, the iron ended up with just 8% of the vote and will now be retired from the game.

The cat token received 31% of the total vote

"While we're a bit sad to see the iron go, the cat token is a fantastic choice by the fans and we have no doubt it will become just as iconic as the original tokens," said Eric Nyman from Hasbro.

The iron was one of the original game tokens introduced by the Parker Brothers in 1935, when the appliance was an important part of domestic life. The Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s.

Previous tokens retired in the 1950s included a lantern, a purse and a rocking horse.

The new cat design received 31% of the total vote and will be added to the existing tokens which include a race car, thimble, top hat, and battleship.

Versions of Monopoly with the new token will come out later this year.