I Want to Be the Kitty

Few comic strips have hit the heart of the human-pet relationship the way MUTTS does. But it's the fact that the duo are everyday pets, with relationships to their owners that ring true, that makes MUTTS work." -Pet Life

I Want to Be the Kitty marks the eighth collection of this award-winning strip and is the follow-up to the successful What Now. As usual, the lovable duo of Earl the dog and his feline friend Mooch can be counted on for charming adventures and out-loud laughs.

The sweet and unique friendship of this special dog and kitty comes through in every strip. When Mooch decides one January morning he's going to hibernate by staying in bed all winter, Earl tries desperately to get him out of bed until he finds out himself how "toashty" it is, in the words of Mooch. Next thing you know, Mooch has a bedmate who announces "I'll see ya in March." The two snore though hibernation together-that is, until they are called for dinner.

With its expressive art and clever, sometimes philosophical, pet banter, MUTTS has built a large and loyal fan base among readers and fellow cartoonists worldwide. The strip has been the discussion topic of Tonight show guests (Brooke Shields), and it's earned the National Cartoonists Society's coveted Comic Strip of the Year Award. And now, as a testament to its ever-growing popularity, fans in New Jersey can show their loyalty to the strip-and animal protection-by getting a state license plate complete with Earl and Mooch and the slogan "Animal Friendly." In MUTTS, cartoonist Patrick McDonnell has created a classic strip that not only delivers consistent laughs but often a message as well.

Patrick McDonnell's Mutts has been syndicated since 1994 and is carried by more than 500 papers in over 20 countries. In 1999, Patrick was honored with the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year. His illustration work has appeared in a wide array of major publications, including the New York Times, Reader's Digest, Sports Illustrated, Time, and countless others. He also provided animation for a TV movie based on his monthly strip Bad Baby, which appeared in Parents magazine for more than a decade. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Karen, the real-life Earl, and Mee Mow the cat