Cat Nirvana?

This is Kerouac [care-o-wack], a male cat, age 6, residing in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The fact that cat shows across the country have been unable to find a category in which to judge Kerouac has done little to stop him from building a fan base reaching into the tens of thousands. Just one of the ways he has made his mark in the world happened on January 15, 2005, when he was identified by Beck's Book of World Records as "The Most Comfortable Cat in the World". (Beck's did make a new category for Kerouac). Winning the record was based on the fact that scientists, veterinarians, architects and doctors have all tested positively, that Kerouac is able to find, in every moment of every day, the most comfortable place to rest and groom. They tested him on wood floors (as seen above), linoleum, carpet, bean bags, wood chips, closets and tile. Based on read-outs from brain sensors, it was proven that Kerouac maintained vital signs similar only to those of a meditating maharishi.

"You can tell, just by looking at him, no matter where he lies down, he's found it, the best, most comfortable place ever -- and it follows him wherever he goes," said a fan from Virginia.

People have come from around the world to learn from Kerouac and to see whether they can glean any of his secrets to pure snuggliness. Chiropractor companies from across the States, as well as some mattress companies from Sweden, are starting to use Kerouac as the ultimate model for comfort. "We want to make people feel like they're this cat," said Svish, from Back Again Mattresses, Inc. out of New York City.

Sleep in Style Hotels, Inc. wanted to buy the rights to Kerouac's image so they could produce signs and logos for their hotels and motels. Stuffed animal companies, such as Stuff-A-Bear and Navy Bean Babies are basing entire gift item lines on Kerouac that the card company, Passmark plans to feature in 2006.

The caregivers for Kerouac have said in several interviews that "...you can use Kerouac as a product model, you can try to emulate his sleep patterns and positions, but no one on this planet can be 100% comfortable at every turn and twist in their day like this cat can. If even half the planet could be like Kerouac, there would be no wars".

Here are some bits from Kerouac's profile for fans:

Favorite activity besides resting: Trying to escape from the house

Favorite activity once he has escaped: Terrorizing and catching birds

Favorite friend: Ginsberg - an orange, male cat

Other animals he knows: Gigi, a female dog

Best feature: Belly