Reader Michael from the UK sent two videos of a cat-food commercial involving a very complicated machine that dispenses cat food. He noted that the machine is similar to those designed by the British illustrator Heath Robinson and his American counterpart Rube Goldberg.
The ad is for Felix brand “Crunchy Crumbles” (I haven’t seen this in the US), a felid meal that involves adding a packet of crunchy bits to an attached sachet of wet food. The machine used in the first commercial is real; there is no human intervention once it’s started. It’s a really nice commercial, and stars a cute tuxedo cat also named Felix. The second video, a longer one, tells how the commercial was made, and how long it took (months!):
Michael’s notes:
The ad itself has more cat [than the “making of” video below]:
Felix enters halfway through this video on the making of the ad—has an enjoyably “luvvy” English director wearing a scarf indoors (not a spoof):
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From reader Su, a cat gif. Note that a dog couldn’t be either this acrobatic or this clever:
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From the I Can Haz Cheezburger site, via reader Ginger K., comes this compilation of the winners in the four categories of the Friskies Awards, given to the best cat videos. The video below is an introduction, but be sure to click on all four links below it to see the winning entries (out of 2000!):
- Funny: Cat vs. Flipflop starring Buddy; Palm Coast, FL Buddy likes order in the house and when he sees something unfamiliar, he gets quite curious. In this playful video, Buddy is exploring a strange object on the floor and becomes the ultimate scardey cat!
- Res-cute: Cat and Baby Play Peekaboo starring Howie; Liverpool, OH In this absolutely adorable video, Howie plays a game of peekaboo with baby Joy. A cute cat coupled with a cute baby is impossible to beat!
- Epic: How Bob Gets His Exercise starring Bob; Atlanta, GA Bob enjoys getting his exercise in a unique way. The technique and speed with which he chases his tail is really impressive. Maybe he’s practicing to be a break dancer!
- Strange: Dumpster Kitty starring Cole and Marmalade; Tampa, FL In this peculiar video, Marmalade puts on disappearing act for Cole. Mesmerized, Cole is left wondering where his feline friend goes!
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meow
I think my favorite from this entire post is the gif of the cat getting into the window. I’m always amazed by the dexterity and ingenuity of cats. Now, if they can learn to mimic leaves then I’ll really be impressed!
The owner says, “Felix is quite superior,” as if that’s something unique in a cat!
I’m a sucker for Rube Goldberg contraptions. I would have liked to have had a more detailed view at the machine and its construction, and less flouncy scarf PR fluff about how awesome a way this was to message the product or whatever.
That “Okay, go!” (is that their name?) video ending with the paintballs to the face was one of the best modern examples of the genre, even if the music didn’t do anything special for me.
b&
The Ontario Science Museum featured a bunch of these machines maybe 15 years ago. I’m a sucker for them, too;-)
You know you’ve read a lot of Jerry’s cat posts when your first glance at “British illustrator” gets scanned in as “British ailurophile”.