by V.L. Holme

Created on: November 27, 2008   Last Updated: December 23, 2008

Morris the Cat has been the fine-dining mascot of 9Lives brand cat food for the past 40 years. Morris sits proudly on every 9Lives product, providing his seal of approval. Morris is hard to please, but he knows what he wants. And we've fallen in love with him for the same reason we love all our pets...because we love to spoil them!

But did you know that Morris the Cat has an interesting story to tell?

The original orange tabby (real name Lucky) was found at a Hinsdale, Illinois animal shelter in 1968. His owner, Bob Hartwick, worked at an advertising agency at the time. Bob had an idea and the voice of John Irwin with the cheeky Morris persona transformed the cat into an icon.

Soon Morris was the star of countless commercials and even got into the movies! Did you know Morris starred in the movie "Shamus" with Burt Reynolds in 1972? Morris even authored books including "The Morris Method" and "The Morris Prescription". He has shared his astute opinion on everything from owning a pet to pet health. And for those die-hard fans who wanted to know more about Mr. Morris feline, there was "Morris: An Intimate Biography" written in 1974.

The Morris for president campaign was launched in 1988 and again in 1992, but alas, was not successful.

All those rides in limousines and tasty treats, however, have not gone to Morris' head. He has become a spokescat for Morris' Million Cat Rescue to save other cats much like himself. To this day, Morris has helped rescue his goal of 1 million cats from all over America. Morris couldn't resist a kitten named L'il Mo in 2006 who is now his adopted companion.

Today's Morris the Cat lives the good life in Los Angeles with his handler, Rose Ordile. He is one of several rescued cats who has kept the Morris legacy intact.

After a lapse in the 1990's, Del Monte has re-committed to their most famous feline friend. Morris, a real cat-of-the-people, will continue to capture our hearts for years to come.

www.morristhecat.com

References:

www.tvacres.com

h ttp://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=86259&p=irol-mediaArticle&ID=1053756&highlight

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN /is_/ai_n27380479

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