Whiskers McFlufferson was a triple gold medalist from the 2025 Multi-national Indoor Catsport Exhibition, held in Toronto in late March. (submitted photo)

By NanaimoNewsMEOW Staff

SHINY THINGS

‘Best paws in the game:’ Nanaimo cathlete wins triple gold at MICE

Apr 1, 2025 | 12:00 AM

NANAIMO — A pint-sized athlete with a mighty paw is making waves in the world of feline competition.

Whiskers McFlufferson, a three-year-old tabby from Nanaimo, pounced onto the global stage at the 2025 Multi-national Indoor Catsport Exhibition (MICE), clawing their way to three gold medals in yarn basketball, couch climbing and laser chase relay, where his team established a new world record.

Held in Toronto over the final weekend in March, the annual MICE tournament showcases the world’s most elite indoor cats, testing their agility, reflexes and sheer determination in a variety of cat-centric events.

“Meow, meow, meow,” McFlufferson told NanaimoNewsMEOW after the event, during a welcome home celebration which involved a yarn ballpit, dangling streamers and catnip treats. “Meow, meow, meow…meow-meow, meow.

McFlufferson’s standout performance in yarn basketball, where competitors must bat, dribble and dunk a yarn ball into a shoebox, was described by their coach, Felix Purrington, as “pawsitively purrfect.”

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The team seized the paw-ment in the gold medal game on Saturday, March 29, winning 65-59 over a talented Catzakstan lineup, who had been heavy pre-tournament favourites.

“Best paws in the game,” Purrington, a former Catsport competitor himself, said after the medal game. “Fast reflexes, sharp instincts, and that floofy tail keeps the competition on edge. When it comes to the final seconds, I know Whiskers is gonna sink that yarn ball.”

In the couch climbing finals a day later, McFlufferson scaled a towering sectional in record time, effortlessly navigating throw-pillow obstacles.

Their final gold came in the laser chase relay on Monday, March 31, a fast-paced, multi-cat event requiring precision, speed and laser-focus—qualities the Nanaimo native displayed in spades.

McFlufferson’s four-feline team, which included cats from Cat Lake, Ontario, Cat Harbour, NFLD and Catalone, Nova Scotia, rounded the track in 34.65 seconds, comfortably beating out second place United States.

At MICE was McFlufferson’s human escort, Laura Kendrick, who said his rise to the top has been a joy to witness.

“Whiskers has always been a natural athlete,” Kendrick said. “Even as a kitten, they were dunking crumpled receipts into my shoes. Seeing them compete at this level, and have so much fun doing it, has been incredible.”

McFlufferson intends to take a well-deserved break atop a nearby sofa for 18-22 hours a day over the next week, before resuming training for the Meowlympics in September.

Nanaimo will host the 2026 MICE next April.

Editor’s Note: April Fools….obviously! Given the current state of the world, we felt we need to bring something outlandishly silly today and we hope this gave you a bit of a chuckle. You can read our other pieces we wrote here:

• NanaimoNewsNOW evolving local ‘mews’ coverage in Nanaimo & Oceanside
• New active transportation lanes have Nanaimo cats ‘feline’ good
• Nanaimo cats furious over animal control bylaw harassment

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