Mean Kitty Sparta: An Internet Sensation

I am a sucker for creative, entertaining cat videos. It is not uncommon for me to spend a good deal of time on YouTube checking out those that have catchy titles or themes. And when I find one that tickles my funny bone, I am apt to share them with my friends.

This said, however, when I first ran across the "Mean Kitty" video series on YouTube, I was totally put off just by the title. I was prepared to grit my teeth as I launched the first of many of Cory William's short films. After all would a true cat lover have named his works "Mean Kitty? But I found myself giving into my "cat-like curiosity. I had to check it out for myself.

Photo credit: Cory Williams
I was totally prepared to watch a video that was lacking in affection for cats and the understanding of the true nature of the feline species. To be honest, my back was about to arch in protest. And, if I had a tail it would have been bushed like the preverbal bottle brush.

Finger poised in readiness to write a nasty comment, I was not at all prepared for my positive reaction. I found myself not only delighted by what I was watching, but as soon as the video finished, I immediately began checking out all of Cory's "Mean Kitty" series. I soon learned that he is a very devoted cat lover with a huge following of dedicated fans who have fallen in love with Cory's cats.

I learned that Sparta, a beautiful young Egyptian Mau that Cory adopted and who has captured his heart has Feline Leukemia. Cory's fans were devastated and thousands of well wishes were posted on the site. Articles started appearing on the Internet about Sparta with excellent information about FeLV (http://stanford.wellsphere.com/pet-health-article/sparta-the-mean-kitty-diagnosed-with-felv-and-a-post-on-living-well-with-feline-leukemia/582734).

And while some folks may think that Cory plays too roughly with Sparta, the deep love and understanding between these two is evident. After all, 22,251,451 views of the "Mean Kitty Song" video say a lot! That is a record number of hits by folks who obviously love Sparta and Cory.

And our cats and I are in awe!

"Mean Kitty" now has his own channel where more recent videos are posted along with updates on Sparta's health. It is gratifying to learn that he is doing very well, and that he has been re-united with his feline pal Loki, who was vaccinated. You can follow all of Cory's work at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheMeanKitty&view=videos

I do hope you enjoy watching Sparta and Cory's relationship as much as I have.

Have you become a Sparta "fan" by now? Leave a comment and let us know.