Nick Filippou's simple but accurate comics are about his life with his cat Minnie and their day-to-day interactions. Those who own a cat already know what pleasure felines bring to their lives. But there's no harm in reminding everyone. And for those of you who don't know, now you may know.
The comics are called "I iz cat," spelled in the vein of "cat-speak" similar to "I can haz cheesburger," a meme that was viral in what would seem like ancient times of the internet. Though the comics have a very rudimental drawing style, they're not about showing off the skills of the artist, but about showing how great his life with his cat is.
From classics like a cat in a box, and their undying hunting instincts, to Minnie's psychedelic escapades on catnip, and other things, the comic covers just about everything in the spectrum of feline life with its beloved owners. But what's more, they add a dash of humor and cuteness that every cat owner (and not only them) may relate to.
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Nick explained the reasons and context behind his comics in an interview for Bored Panda. "So, the comics star my real-life rescue cat, Minnie. I adopted Minnie 5 years ago from a shelter in Baltimore. She was a former stray and part of a TNR program (trap neuter release) that spent most of her life living outside. The clipped ear in the comics is real, and is from her being a part of the TNR program. My first comic came from a Christmas poem I wrote about the cat’s perspective of '‘Twas the Night Before Christmas' and have been drawing them ever since. Minnie is always the inspiration."
Of course, the artist is an avid lover of cats. "My favorite thing about cats is how zen they are but also, at the same time, they’re little agents of chaos. Cats both relax me and make me laugh."
And Minnie isn't the first cat to rule his household. "I adopted my first cat in college (also a rescue from Baltimore) and snuck him home. I named him Binx. Of course, I got caught sneaking a cat into the house, and my dad, who was very anti-cat, wasn’t a fan. He warned me if that cat scratched any furniture, or things like that, that he would take him back to the shelter. Then, a few days later, I come home from class and see my dad snuggling with my cat in my bed. They’ve been best friends ever since. Even when I moved out a few years later, my dad told me I couldn’t take Binx with me because he loved him too much and that this was his home. It was pretty adorable. I let Binx stay with my parents and moved into an apartment."
He loves cats so much that he even volunteers at a local rescue organization, and that's where he found the lovely Minnie. "I then started volunteering at a local rescue in Baltimore, and that’s where I met Minnie. Minnie was a very adventurous girl who still was living outside. The shelter owner would call out 'Minnie!' and I’d see this adorable cat hop over the fence, returning from the woods meowing up a storm. I fell in love. I remember the shelter owner saying, 'Minnie would give anything to be in a loving home.' So when I had things situated at my apartment, I knew I had to adopt her. I also adopted another cat, a tortie named Sylvia who only had 3 legs. The two lived in my apartment for a few years, until Sylvia unfortunately passed away. Sylvia was a sassy girl who I still very much missed. I was glad I was able to give her a home even if it wasn’t for that long."
I've always told my kids there are no monsters under the bed/in the closet because our cat, Fred, does his job well. He eats them you see, and he is a master Jedi.
He told a little about his personal life, and his wife's experience with Minnie. "When I started dating my soon-to-be wife, I remember her telling me she wasn’t really a cat person. She much preferred dogs. That was until she met Minnie. Minnie is the sweetest cat I’ve ever met, and is quite similar to a dog. She follows you EVERYWHERE, is very vocal, and loves to snuggle on your lap, your chest, even your head. She’s very loving. My wife was impressed. When we moved into our house, Minnie loved it. She had so much more room to explore and play." Nick also tells about how his lockdown went. "Lockdown has been tough for sure. Luckily, both my wife and I have been able to work from home and keep our jobs. We feel lucky. It also has allowed us to reevaluate what’s important. We had to have a small backyard wedding in June 2020 and it turned out to be a really intimate and beautiful ceremony. Of course, we took wedding photos with Minnie and Dany on our special day as well!"
oh geez, how did you get out of the underground flowey!! do i need to call sans or chara to come get you?
Nick and his wife have a dog too, as you can tell from some of the comics. "We eventually adopted a dog, a boxer rescue also from Baltimore, who we named Dany. Dany is a very sweet girl, and MY first dog ever. I was very worried about how Dany and Minnie would get along. We read plenty of articles and watched videos on how to introduce cats and dogs and followed all the steps. We found out Dany is also a sweetheart and the two have become great friends who enjoy snuggling on the couch together. Minnie is still the queen, and Dany is her subject."
My cat when she first wakes up... to two seconds after she wakes up.... Zero to Murder in one blink!
Also a purring cat on the bed is like having sweet lullaby sung to you when you can’t sleep.
For several years I had two cats who came from the same litter. Sometimes in the middle of the night they would play "Indiana-paw-lis 500" with my bed part of the track. One night I got a nasty scratch on my cheek.
I can rarely resist a reference to the Original Trilogy! Don't forget Lando Catlissian and Bopaw Fett!
I am so glad this is an ear-tipped kitty. In many regions of the US, at least, that means it was a feral who was trapped, neutered/spayed, and apparently, decided to lie the good life! :-)
Leo, in Italy too! "Our" two strays are ear-tipped. They run our home.
Load More Replies...This post reminds me of a cat my Grandma owned. It was my first time being in really close quarters with a cat, actually kitten but not so young, and I relished it. I was scared she'd scratch me right away since I was new but she just nipped me gently with her claws from time to time. Like reminding me not to do anything stupid and yet not actually hurting me. My siblings were too scared to pet her so I just loved her all day long. I think maybe she liked me. 😊 But when I came visiting again she was gone. 😔 I guess I took too long to come back. I never saw her again. She was an in and out cat so one day she went out and didn't bother coming in again. I wish I'd taken a picture but I didn't want to frighten her..... (I'm crying now.)
These comics are so relatable. I would like to see a real picture of Minnie now. And Dany. And Nick.
Oh, we can see them all in action on iizcat.com. Great! 😍
Load More Replies...I am so glad this is an ear-tipped kitty. In many regions of the US, at least, that means it was a feral who was trapped, neutered/spayed, and apparently, decided to lie the good life! :-)
Leo, in Italy too! "Our" two strays are ear-tipped. They run our home.
Load More Replies...This post reminds me of a cat my Grandma owned. It was my first time being in really close quarters with a cat, actually kitten but not so young, and I relished it. I was scared she'd scratch me right away since I was new but she just nipped me gently with her claws from time to time. Like reminding me not to do anything stupid and yet not actually hurting me. My siblings were too scared to pet her so I just loved her all day long. I think maybe she liked me. 😊 But when I came visiting again she was gone. 😔 I guess I took too long to come back. I never saw her again. She was an in and out cat so one day she went out and didn't bother coming in again. I wish I'd taken a picture but I didn't want to frighten her..... (I'm crying now.)
These comics are so relatable. I would like to see a real picture of Minnie now. And Dany. And Nick.
Oh, we can see them all in action on iizcat.com. Great! 😍
Load More Replies...