Greg Krueger and The Fur Kids: The Exclusive Catsparella Interview, Part 2!

On Monday, I posted the first part of my exclusive interview with Must Love Cats favorites, Greg Krueger and The Fur Kids, where he opened up about their experience being filmed for the new hit series. (Read Part 1 of the interview here.)

In part two of our interview, Greg explains why he was drawn to Maine Coon cats, and we also learn about his original inspiration for turning the house into a feline wonderland!

Read on for more!

The Big Guy

On your Must Love Cats segment, you mentioned that all of your cats except for one are Maine Coons. What was it that drew you to that particular breed?

The Big Guy. He was my favorite the first fifteen years I lived here. His picture is on the wall at the top behind the spiral stairway. All of the fur kids past and present are in the segment in some way, except The Wild One. I have no pictures of her, just memories.

The Big Guy. He hung around me constantly. Whenever I'm busy with a cat related project, it is as if I have the opportunity to think and try to see the world through their eyes. So much about our home was created through his eyes. I thought he resembled a Maine Coon, not only in appearance but personality. The first time a saw a real Maine Coon was two weeks after The Big Guy died, and he was trying to hide in a litter box. I brought him home - and he was named Trashee (The "new era or scene," as defined in the Urban Dictionary).

Trashee

What originally gave you the idea to start adding pathways and openings to the house for the cats?

An early memory is making two openings in the kitchen closet near the floor so I could close the "people" door to the entry. At the time the entry was not insulated very well. About the same time, I remember I leaned a ladder near the built-in china cabinet in the corner and they climbed up the ladder and went on top of the cabinet. I looked at them, and all around the room near the ceiling and thought ,"There's a lot of wasted space up there."

The Cat Kennel was also an early project. For a short time (way back when), I would allow them to go outside while I was cooking lunch, then lure them back into the house by tapping a can of cat food. I will try to describe what happened one day as delicately as possible. I stood at the back door of my house listening to a string of profanities being fired at me, not having any idea why, and was then handed a kleenex with a tiny cat turd in it. Shortly thereafter, I connected the Cat Kennel to our home.

Trouble

Are you finished adding on to the house, or are you continually coming up with new projects for the Fur Kids to enjoy?

I never really had any idea our home would become what it has. I think what I like most about cat projects is the process, it creates endless opportunities and challenges to think like a cat. Sometimes it's a little sad to finish something. I think the Fur Kids give me all the ideas. Whenever they want something they let me know. If what they want is to do is chase after the string tied to the dowel every night, then that's what we do.

Indy and Shooting Star

Would you ever consider going into business helping people transform their houses into "kitty castles" of their own?

Saturday night, a woman from California called me and she wasn't quite sure why she was calling, just that something inside her told her to call me. She mentioned how much she enjoyed seeing "The Fur Kids" segment on Must Love Cats, and how much it affected other people, something I wasn't really aware of.

She also mentioned her umpteen credentials, among them she was a psychologist. I do believe her because while we were talking she asked me questions about my life and she seemed to know me better in some ways than I knew myself. She was curious about something a little bit similar to this same question you are asking me now, which I have never really thought about before. I couldn't imagine being in the "kitty castle" business - but maybe there is something...She wasn't sure why she was calling, and I wasn't sure why either - but I have a feeling The Fur Kids know why.

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So there you have it! Once again, big thanks to Greg, Wendy, Vicky, Trashee, Trouble, Shooting Star, and Indy for taking the time to answer my questions! Be sure to check out The Fur Kids photostream on Flickr for even more pictures, and keep watching Must Love Cats on Animal Planet to learn about the coolest kitty stories in the U.S.!