"Think Like a Cat" Game Show, Hosted by Chuck Woolery

Although this show attracted a "cattle call" of hundreds of proud "back-stage mommies (and daddies), eager to seek fame and fortune for their cats, the final production was a bit disappointing. Despite all the extravagant promotion, it seems unlikely that there will be a sequel to this show. My own applause goes to the AHA and cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy for their expertise and diligence in detecting and weeding out the cats that were obviously stressed. I'll be adding a personal interview with Jackson soon.

The highly publicized tryouts for "Think Like a Cat" were held in Denver and Los Angeles. They resembled the feline version of American Idol, with long lines of hundreds of people clutching their cats, a virtual CATtle call. The eight semi-finalists came from all over the U.S., and included a varied assortment of both purebred and mixed breed cats. Cats prone to stress were quickly weeded out, and those who remained appeared to be calm and relaxed.

The first part of the elimination involved the eight semi-finalists running through a long tunnel, with their owners cheering them on toward an open can of food.

"Cat Jeopardy"
A series of random questions were selected from categories with cute names like "Cat-Tistics," "Just Kitten Around," and "Let's Get Fuzzical." The questions included various degrees of difficulty, such as "What sound does a cat make when happy, scared, or in pain? or "Which feline parent teaches hunting to the kittens?"

The three semi-finalists then wagered on tests:

Here, Kitty Kitty
A speaker with the owner's voice was hidden inside a box. The contestants had to predict whether or not their cat would enter the box.

Which Toy?
A toy mouse, a jingle ball, and a treat ball were placed in front of each cat. Which toy would the cats approach?[

The prizes each included a year's supply of Meow Mix Wholesome Goodness and a donation to a favorite animal charity:

• Third place: $10,000
• Second place: $15,000
• First place: $25,000 guaranteed and $1,000,000 (potential)

Final Round for Grand Prize

This one involved picking out two bags of Meow Mix cat food from a circle of 10 bags. Each bag had a "food ingredient icon" inside (however only two bags had matching icons.) The kitty finalist picks one bag, and the human finalist the other. Did they win? No spoilers here.

Click here for show airing details on a TV near you.