BuzzFeed’s love of Grumpy Cat is well documented , but find out why Morris was an even bigger sensation.
Morris was discovered in 1968, after a staff member at Hinsdale Humane Society noticed the cat's charming personality and contacted Bob Martwick, a professional animal trainer who worked for the Leo Burnett advertising agency.
Martwick took Morris to a casting for a 9Lives cat food commercial. After impressing the art director he was cast as the mascot.
According to Martwick, “he [Morris] jumped on the table… and he walked right up to the art director, the big cheese, and bumped him in the head. And then Morris just sat back. The art director said, ‘This is the Clark Gable of cats.’”
Morris (voiced in commercials by John Irwin) was portrayed in the adversting campaign as "the world's most finicky cat", and could only eat 9Lives brand cat food.
The ad campaign was an overnight success and Morris became the face of 9Lives.
Morris was reportedly the prototype for Garfield the cat.
