The votes are in and here are the five finalists in the Big Kitty Photo Contest. Please take a minute to vote once again for the winner who will receive a Scratch’n Slumber Comfort Lounge from Brawny Cat.
Odin
My Big Kitty is a Bengal. He’s a Sepia Snow Marble named Odin who lives up to his Norse God name in attitude and stature.
He is pictured here in the lounge chair he has since owned & destroyed. When it finally got so bad the stuffing was falling out of the arms, we had to give the chair away to a nice lady who did reupholstering. Odin has since taken to sleeping high in our closet on top of the Autumn & Winter sweater stash and one of the back deck sitting room chairs that he favors to leave fur all over.
Because this former lounge chair (giant personal scratch post) used to sit at the foot of the bed (where he could lord over us), he has taken to scratching defiantly at the corner of our bed in protest. He is really mad his chair is gone!
Odin needs a lounger/scratch pad of his own again, and the Scratch’n Slumber Comfort Lounge sounds like just the thing, for kitty with a god complex!
Rudy
Here is my big boy, Rudy! He’s an 18-pound lover boy who loves to sleep in this metal basket (that I bought to put the mail in!) but as you can see he doesn’t quite fit! So, he could really use a new lounger.
Merry
My name is Merry Noel because I was rescued in the month of December. But you can call me Merry… just don’t call me late for dinner! You can tell I have not missed many meals since I was rescued.
A couple years ago I was dumped at the local animal control with my litter of kittens. All of my babies were adopted, but I was left behind. I am now living in the temporary site of the Forever Home Feline Ranch in Springfield, Illinois. I enjoy sleeping in any comfy place I can find (as shown in the photo), but I would really enjoy a Scratch’n Slumber Comfort Lounge that I could share with all my friends at the Ranch.
Rory
This is Rory. He is a 6-year-old Applehead Siamese. Rory is big, lean, and muscular, tipping the scales at around 15 pounds! The vet has assured us that he is not at all overweight, but simply a *big cat*. When he stretches out, Rory is about 3 feet long (no joke!); he can easily reach up and touch our kitchen countertop. Rory is a gentle giant, so he sleeps wherever the other 2 cats aren’t occupying, though his favorite place to snooze is on my husband’s lap. I’d love for him to have a special bed to call his own, and that’s why Rory needs the Scratch’n Slumber Comfort Lounge made especially for big-boned kitties like him.
Mac
Mac is an oddball in all his activities. This includes sleeping. In the picture you can see him sleeping on an old trumpet case. More often than not, he chooses to sleep on footwear, namely the shoes that I need to be wearing at that point in time. He also has opted to use my suitcase, couches, and legs as his scratching post. This Scratch’n Slumber lounge would not only provide my legs with some much needed recovery time, but would give him a place to call a bed.
Cast your vote!
Please vote for your top choice to win the Big Kitty Photo Contest. Make sure to click the “vote” button after you have made your selection. You may only vote once. Voting ends at midnight on August 26. The winner will be announced on August 27.
Voting is now closed.
Please note, this contest is not meant to discriminate against small kitties, nor is it meant to endorse being overweight. Overweight cats can have health issues that should be addressed with your vet. We love kitties of all sizes!
August 25th, 2010 at 9:44 am
I have to vote for Rory out of sheer principle – I was going to enter my own big boy applehead siamese as well, and this big guy looks like he could be my boy’s twin!
August 25th, 2010 at 9:45 am
My Nipsey does the same thing as Merry. So funny!
August 25th, 2010 at 9:58 am
I’m a bit disappointed. These kitties are cute indeed, but people seemed to have voted for the cutest kitty and/or the cutest photo, not necessarily the BIG kitties – out of these five, only Merry seems to be a big kitty and apparently she’s quite good photogenic! ;^)
I so wish I could adopt her…
August 25th, 2010 at 10:11 am
I love that pic of Merry
August 25th, 2010 at 10:24 am
We have a Brawny Cat sleeper scratcher and my guys love it. They love it so much that, so far, they haven’t used it as a litterbox. Adorable Persian trait
They are also very nice looking and well made.
August 25th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Merry’s in a shelter – she needs the prize most!
August 25th, 2010 at 10:27 am
I feel like if I vote for one kitty, I’m voting against the others and that makes me sad. All of them seem so special and loved. I wish all the big kitties could get a lounge.
August 25th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Odin is my favorite, he is unique and regal~
August 25th, 2010 at 10:32 am
I disagree with Nina: Two of my top 4 Big kitties made it into the finals, and I really did try to pick out ones who were big and had outgrown their accommodations. I think three of these felines are clearly in the plus-size category. All are gorgeous.
Kate: you should think about doing a calendar! (With Merry Noel as December, whether she wins/loses the contest.)
August 25th, 2010 at 10:57 am
While I too am a bit disappointed (that none of my choices made it to the finals), it’s so difficult to choose when every cat is, well, a CAT and thus, irresistible! I voted for cute Merry, with purrs and prayers for her to find the loving, forever home she (and every cat and kitten!) so richly deserves. From what’s visible in the pic, she’s undoubtedly adorable.
August 25th, 2010 at 11:32 am
I vote for Merry!
August 25th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Two of my kitties are kitties I kept after they came to me pregnant with nowhere to go. I helped them birth the babies, raised the kittens, placed them…and no one wanted the mommas. So they were promptly spayed and they are my girls now. I would take Merry in a minute!
August 25th, 2010 at 11:45 am
I vote for Merry first of all because of this phrase: “would really enjoy a Scratch’n Slumber Comfort Lounge that I could share with all my friends at the Ranch”. I know, how hard is to find a good scratcher for lots of cats, and how fast they’re gone
So I wish Merry to win the contest! And it will be very good for us to see how the Scratch’n Slumber Comfort Lounge survived interest of several big cats in the Feline Ranch! 
August 25th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Merry fits the bill and her story touched my heart. Go Merry Noel!
August 25th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Love ALL the big kitties! I am hoping for an itty bitty kitty contest so I can enter my sweetie pie Little Bit in it.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
I love all of them, how could I not?
August 25th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Yes, Miss Merry does not look one bit hungry! May her and her friends at The Ranch enjoy the Scratch and Slumber Lounger.
August 25th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Nina has a point, but it IS a “photo” contest not meant to discriminate against cuteness or size, even though Merry appears to be the biggest kitty of the bunch. Moreover, it’s going to be a tough haul to beat a story like: “Merry, homeless monorail cat, needs bed to share with hobo friends at the Kitty Ranch.” People love a good story and the sympathy vote weighs heavy!
August 25th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
I don’t think it is fair to tug at our heartstrings with the shelter story. Of course the majority of people are going to vote for Merry. She’s in need and so are her friends. I’d love to see all animal shelters receive the donations they so desperately need. However, this is a contest. Leave the boo hoo stories out of it.
August 25th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Merry is the best candidate!
1. She meets the “big” kitty criteria (not all the finalists seem to)
2. The photo itself is original, funny, and non-contrived, and
3. As a rescued, non-purebred cat, she seems to be most in need of winning the prize.
VOTE FOR MERRY!!
August 25th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
I wish all the kitties could win; but, for me, Merry Noel is the girl! Not only is she absolutely precious, but this little kitty has gone through a lot … it breaks my heart when mama kitties aren’t adopted like their babies … Additionally, shelters rely on donations to operate — the Scratch ‘n Slumber Lounge will be loved by all! Good luck, Merry!
August 25th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Im voting for Merry because she deserves the bed. Shes had a tough go and should be pampered in the manner a lady deserves.
August 25th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I love Merry! Since I’m a volunteer for an animal shelter, I also love the idea of a shelter cat winning. If I were in the Springfield, IL area, I would be applying to adopt her!
August 25th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
had to pick merry. not that they all aren’t beautiful and deserving, but merry will be sharing with other little kitties that are waiting for homes.
August 25th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Not only is Merry a big kitty, he has the most amusing picture. Hahahahahahahaha
August 25th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
You have a good looking family of kitties. I love all of these pictures.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
My fingers are crossed that Merry finds her new forever home soon! If Merry wins the lounger, that will be a nice thing to share with her room-mates!
August 25th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
@ Susan: Merry Noel was voted in the final 5 without the “boo-hoo” story, people seem to like her chubby self, story or not. I think Lily said it best. YOU GO MERRY!!!!
August 25th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Mac won my heart. He reminded me of my former cats Conrad and Aesop. Both rescues that liked to sleep on suitcases. Aesop had many fables. Suitcases featured in one of them. Mac also has the same colorations and markings as my boys. Mac is a sweetie.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
The love of my life was a Scottish Fold named Rudy. So . . .
August 25th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I like Odin. He’s so clean looking. I tried to enter my big Bengal but the picture refused to load. His spots morphed into stripes by the time he was full grown and since have changed to a black, brown, gray, white brindle.
August 25th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
All cute, cute kitties but Merry seems to be the “big” kitty of the bunch!
August 25th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Disappointed in this too……as it seems the more friends/family you have the “more” votes you get. And just like Nina said, “These kitties are cute indeed, but people seemed to have voted for the cutest kitty and/or the cutest photo, not necessarily the BIG kitties – out of these five,”
Just hoping the next contest will be more fair………>^..^<
August 25th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
GO Merry GO
August 26th, 2010 at 12:16 am
Paws Down!!! It’s precious ‘little’ Miss Merry Noel! Her past is so very sad, wish I could adopt all the mama kitties, or a ‘adopt a kitten adopt the mama too deal!’ Alll the worlds kitties are precious, but the ones who’ve had a tough go of it need all the little luxuries they can possibly get! This is an organization run on love & not a lot of love, and God Bless those who provide for the babies. “Little” Merry Noel will be happy to have a new cozy to share with her buddies. Hope she finds her forever home through this contest!! She has quite the figure!
August 26th, 2010 at 12:37 am
Odin is just georgeous and is pose reminds me of how much cats own us and not the other way around! Though I think they are all deserving, my heart goes to Merry. Life hasn’t been so kind to her and I’d love to know she gets some extra pampering. Go Merry! ^_^
August 26th, 2010 at 3:18 am
Would luv to see some after pictures of Merry sharing her win with her shelter friends.
I voted before reading all the stories cause I did not want to be swayed by the owners rhetoric.
I like the creativity of Merry’s picture. Would luv to see her pretty face!!!
August 26th, 2010 at 6:26 am
I love them all. Can they all win???
August 26th, 2010 at 6:28 am
Merry’s pic is hillarious
My tabby likes to be held on my arm like this 
But she is only 3,4 kg! I doubt I could hold my 6 kg siberian like that without breaking my arm 
And I made the nr. 1000 vote! Yay! 
August 26th, 2010 at 6:57 am
All the cat photos were fantastic – even the non – finalists. I chose Mac because of these five finalists, it seemed he would benefit the most. When Rudy the shelter cat gets adopted, the bed stays at the shelter, doesn’t go with the cat. Other cats in the original set of photos seemed they would benefit too, but perhaps for poor image quality, didn’t get picked. Contest is a great idea, good for generating interest, but the best photos reveal the cat already has a bed, and the owner has resources. Too bad we couldn’t just vote to give all the entry’s a bed, a random kindness,…you know…just because its Thursday…just to get that one pet owner with less resources who had the courage to submit a picture, not the best picture, but values their relationship with their cat so much that submitting their photo is like a prayer.
August 26th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I have to agree with a lot of the comments that I was disapointed to see the “finalists.” I voted for truely huge kitties in the first round. These kitties are cute, but I wanted to see the ones that couldn’t fit into cat beds or boxes because they were so huge. That said, since there were no truely huge cats and I love Merry’s picture, I had to vote for her.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Like I said previously, I wanted my big cat’s picture in but it wouldn’t load. I voted for Odin. I am going to try to get the picture of Tailbiter I wanted to enter put on his Catster page. I’m looking at him now hanging over the edges on top of the kitty condo.
August 26th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
My vote is for Rudy. Rudy’s people found Rudy on the streets half starved. They took him in and gave him a great home, and look at him now!!
August 26th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
I just looked on the website for the ranch and Merry Noel’s picture is there – she’s cute as a button! http://www.felineranch.org
August 27th, 2010 at 2:30 am
Without doubts, Merry!!
August 30th, 2010 at 11:49 am
I have to say that I am disappointed with the finalists in general. Yes all the cats were terribly adorable but there should have been a judgement call on size of the kitty before it was put up to vote. Merry is the only kitty of all the pictures there that showed a good shot of how BIG she really is. The rest are either in something so you can’t tell how big they are or they just aren’t that big.
August 31st, 2010 at 10:39 am
Is it too late? I cast a vote for Merry…most in need!
November 1st, 2010 at 12:14 am
I can’t imagine if big cat like tigers and lion is a pet and have contest like this…