What’s So Great About Your Cat?

Some of you may have noticed photos of me at SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin, TX on my Facebook page back in early March. Now I can finally tell you why I was there and more importantly, what’s in it for you (it’s good, so read on!).

As you can see these Purina folks have zero sense of humor or fun (NOT!). Here I am chilling with Emily from PR at Purina in our fancy new pink sunglasses. Because yes, we wear our sunglasses at night!

The folks at Purina Pro Plan Cat were kind enough to invite me to SXSW with them to attend the MOFILM SXSW 2014 Awards they sponsored. MOFILM gives up-and-coming filmmakers the chance to create video content for various top tier brands. Pro Plan Cat challenged them to answer the question “What’s So Great About a Cat?”

https://www.facebook.com/MOFILM

Five finalists were chosen, and the winning video “The Fighter” (below) was announced at an intimate party at SXSW. I think you’ll agree the filmmaker did an amazing job of highlighting the physical attributes that make cats so agile, elegant and beautiful.

Watch the videos from remaining four video entries at the end of this post. They’re only :30-:60 seconds each so I highly encourage you give them a look. Each filmmaker had their own unique interpretation of the brief, and in bringing to life what makes cats so special (as cat lovers I know you’ll appreciate the artistry and sheer beauty of the film).

In addition to watching the winning film and sipping cocktails, I spent the evening scoping out cat goers to ask them what they loved most about their cats about their cats. Here’s what a few of them had to say.

(l) “My cat’s name is Honey. She likes putting her head in my shoe when I get home from work.”

(l) “I love Harry Potter and Ron Meowsley because they’re so snuggly” (r) “I loved Smokey because she was a cuddled.”

But this fabulous event was only one part of my cat-filled weekend. Being at SXSW also gave me the chance to feel like I was in college all over again, stressing over which of the many cool-sounding lectures and workshops to attend. So much to do, so little time!

Among the slightly dryer but relevant sessions about Reddit, Twitter and Smart Apps, I waited in a super long line where a riot nearly broke out to hear Seth Myers and Olivia Munn speak (I can’t lie, they were both pretty funny!).

One of the highlights of the weekend was seeing the “Cash Cat” panel consisting of Ben Lashes (Manager to Grumpy Cat and Nyan Cat), Grace Suriel (Director of Social Media at Animal Planet), William Braden (Creator, Henri Le Chat Noir) and Scott Stulen (Curator, Internet Cat Video Festival.).

We even had a special expert guest join, and when she did, grown men acted like teenage girls at a Madonna concert – or I guess in this day and age, at a Miley Cyrus concert! Yup, Grumpy Cat herself paid us a visit!

So this is probably where you start wondering WIIFM – What’s In It For Me! Which we all know is the real reason you’re really reading this post – It’s OK, I can handle it! Don’t worry, we have a few things up our sleeve for you!

#1 Pro Plan Cat wants you to be loud an proud about all the reasons you love your furry feline (s). Share a photo of your cat (s) on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and tell us what makes them so special to you.

Include #MyGreatCat and @proplancat. Then be sure to check to see if your photo is retweeted, regramed, or reposted to the Pro Plan Cat community! Here are a few of the Instagrams received so far for a bit of inspiration:

(top) “Garfield was our first cat. We were out on a bike ride one Sunday morning and he was a wee kitten that started following us while meowing. I tried finding where he came from but never did. He chose us and we adore him. We got him Taji as a playmate. They are best friends.” (bottom) “Tamar of @ihavecat finds inspiration in her cats Petie and Haddie.”

(top) He – Milton – is my best friend. I rescued him on a highway and he’s become the most amazing, sensitive cat. He can also fetch!” (bottom) “We think that Bunny’s extra digits make here even more beautiful.”

#2 But wait! There’s more! You also have the chance to win 6 months of Pro Plan Cat food for your cat (sorry this is a domestic giveaway only).

Use can use Rafflecopter to enter a few different ways. For your mandatory blog post comment, let us know what you said about #MyGreatCat in your FB post, Tweet or Instagram to @proplancat! And feel free to tell us which MOFILM entry you liked best – not mandatory, I’m just curious (I have a favorite myself but I’m not telling!)!