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Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow Owner Could Be A Fat Cat

Del Monte Foods

Ian Stich and his 6-year-old cat Quinn pounced on the chance for game show success on the Game Show Network's The Meow Mix Think Like a Cat Game Show."

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By WALT BELCHER

wbelcher@tampatrib.com

Published: November 9, 2008

SARASOTA - Ian Stich says he wasn't a cat lover until he met Quinn and Harley, a couple of fur balls of fun.

Now, thanks to Quinn, Stich is getting his 15 minutes of fame on national television.

"It's really amazing when I think about it," says Stich, who is one of the contestants on "The Meow Mix Think Like a Cat Game Show." It debuts at 9:30 p.m. Saturday on the Game Show Network.

Quinn, also known as "The Mighty Quinn," is a 6-year-old, 17-pound Maine coon who turns out to be a scene stealer during the half-hour game show. The cat also may have helped Stich win $1 million.

"I can't reveal the outcome, but we did pretty well as a team," says the 29-year-old who teaches guitar and works at a Starbucks, where "hundreds of the regular customers" want to know what happens on the show.

The native of New York's Long Island moved to Sarasota three years ago. His wife, Jenny, is an office manager.

"We drove all the way to Tampa for the auditions in June, and there were hundreds of people who brought their cats, and out of all that, they picked Quinn," Stich says.

Sponsored by Meow Mix brand cat food, "Think Like a Cat" features eight felines and their owners competing in elimination rounds that are like a cross between "Jeopardy!" and "The Newlywed Game."

The episode is a pilot for a potential series. In addition to Saturday's debut, it repeats at 9 p.m. Nov. 21 and 4:30 p.m. Nov. 23.

The producers scoured the country, traveling in a cat-shaped van, looking for "purr-fect cat-testants" at auditions in eight cities.

At the Tampa auditions, held June 28 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, cats of all sizes and shapes tried out. People came from as far away as Miami and Jacksonville.

Brian R. Ely, marketing director for Meow Mix maker Del Monte Foods, said they were looking for cats and owners who were not camera shy and who seemed to share a common bond.

Hosted by game show veteran Chuck Woolery, "Think Like a Cat" begins with a physical challenge involving a dash for food. Contestants are then quizzed on famous cats, cat behavior and other feline trivia such as "What is the name of Dr. Evil's kitty in the 'Austin Powers' films?"

In another round, owners are asked to predict how their cats will respond when faced with such choices as playing with a piece of string or a toy mouse. The winning cat owner gets $25,000.

The final challenge involves picking a bag of Meow Mix that might contain $1 million. The program was taped in Los Angeles in August, and Stich has had to keep the outcome a secret.

"It was a great experience," he says. "Some of the other cats and owners were amazing."

His competition includes Spooky D. Cat, a 10-year-old snowshoe from Portland, Ore., and Mr. Guffington, a 4-year-old Himalayan from Los Angeles.

Stich says Quinn and Harley (a rare silver Maine coon) came into his life four years ago when a former landlord was trying to find a home for them. He had never had a cat before.

"I must say that I have a stronger bond with Quinn than Harley," he says. "Harley is shy. He likes to hide out in the bedroom. Quinn's mission is to lie on top of my chest, and sleep in my lap, and purr. I know my cat very, very well."

He says that they were among the first to audition in Tampa.

"I remember when I took him out of his crate, everyone's head turned and people were saying, 'Look at that cat,' so I began to think that we had something," he says.

He says it took about 10 hours to tape the show, and he was sweating all the way. But Quinn remained cool.

"He took to Chuck Woolery right away, and backstage he jumped on his lap," Stich says.

Later, Quinn even dozed off at one point during the show.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813 259-7654.

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