Phat Cat

Hey, Grumpy Cat! There’s a new kitty vying for King of Social Media, and it’s longtime 9 Lives spokescat Morris.

“The popularity of cats on the internet right now is unprecedented,” says Carrie Schliemann, director of cat food and snacks at Big Heart Pet Brands, the parent company of 9 Lives. “It was the perfect time for a reboot.”

As a result, Morris is now starring in a social-media campaign via 9lives.com, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. That includes a series of interactive vignettes in which his high-tech gear provides a cat’s-eye view of his exploits.

“Whether he’s taking a nap, eating 9 Lives, cuddling with his owner, he provides fans with everyday cat insights,” Schliemann says.

Morris was introduced to TV viewers in 1969, starring in commercials as the finicky eater who was wooed and won by the delicacies of 9 Lives.

“The first Morris was a little bit negative,” Schliemann admits. “I would say this Morris is charmingly choosy. He’s embracing his adoption, he’s embracing technology. He’s a shelter cat who’s now living the good life.”

But with some 250,000 followers on Facebook, Morris has a way to go to unseat Grumpy Cat.

An internet sensation since his debut in 2012, Grumpy is edging toward 8 million likes on his Facebook book. He has also been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and the cover of New York magazine and starred in a Lifetime telefilm.