When OG Anunoby teamed up with local New York cat rescues to promote an adoption event in June, the marketing materials were curiously devoid of any mention of Anunoby having a feline of his own.
The Knicks were still basking in the glow of their incredible run to the NBA championship, and Anunoby was doing a good thing, but there was a piece of the story missing.
Why was he helping cats?
Now we know.
Anunoby says he loves all animals, “but especially cats.” He just doesn’t have a cat of his own yet for a very practical reason: he’s on the road constantly as a professional athlete, and his job is extremely demanding on his time.
“Because of the season and the scheduling and all the travel I have to do, it’s hard to have one,” he told NBC Sports. “So, I don’t have one right now, but I do want to get one in the future.”
Some professional athletes make it work. Jordan Poole is the NBA’s most prominent cat lover and was a regular volunteer at a local shelter when he played for the Washington Wizards.
In Major League Baseball, 27-year-old Seattle Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz is famous for his devotion to his cat, Matilda. He had her hilariously sneering face and paw prints stitched onto a custom glove, and his wife brings Matilda with her on the road when the Mariners embark on road trips, so Muñoz can have his family with him.
Even Seattle fans love Matilda and she’s become an unofficial team mascot with her own bobblehead doll.
After picking a “starting five” of adoptable cats in June, Anunoby is currently partnering with Royal Canin in a campaign to urge people to take their cats to the vet for preventative care.
He’s beloved in New York not only for being an absolute badass on the court and for exceeding expectations as he hit one of basketball’s most iconic game-winning shots. He’s also loved for his demeanor. The dude’s a space cadet.
After the Kicks won it all, Anunoby stared quietly, immersed in his own thoughts during a national TV morning show appearance with his teammates, completely oblivious to the anchor who was asking him a question. The rest of the Knicks were doubled over in laughter.
He’s the kind of introvert who would probably make a good cat dad, so when he retires — or maybe when he gets a guarantee of stability, like a no-trade clause in his contract — he’ll provide a good home.
In the meantime, he said what every fan likes to hear. The Knicks enjoyed their championship, they basked in the celebration, but they know there are 29 hungry teams ready to stop them from repeating as champions, so now they’re back in the gym and putting in the work to level up.
Pain In The Bud 
I get some people are on the road a lot. That is why you get a catsitter.
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A word about Royal Canin. When I was taking a look at alternate wet cat food for Ramses, Royall Canin was one of the brands I looked at. Here’s the thing: They have no list of ingredients or an analysis of nutrition on either their cans or the boxes stacked on the shelf. Nothing. Nada. Just their logo and the words “Royall Canin” and what the cans were supposed to be “good for” (as in digestive issues, etc.) – Royal Canin calls them “profiles”.
So, me being me, I did some research and found they contain “animal derivitives” and grains. NOPE not for us.
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I looked at the website and the ingredients are listed there. It’s not great, and the idea that cats should eat different food based on their breed is a nonsense.
As for “animal derivatives,” that’s where it gets gross. It can mean either certain internal organs like liver or kidney (which you’ll see on the package) or things like poultry or beef byproducts, which is all the nasty stuff not fit for human consumption, including beaks, bones, cartilage, connective tissue, eyeballs, and even worse stuff ij certain brands.
But that’s a problem with the entire pet food industry and lots of brands use by-products.
Even some of the more expensive brands do, which means you can’t even depend on the claim of quality.
The only solution I’ve found is looking directly at the ingredient list, and not just for byproducts but also for cheap filler.
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That’s what I do: I read labels on human and pet food. Which is one of the reasons I disdain Hill’s cat foods. It’s expensive AND full of crap.
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Yeah it’s insane what they charge, they call it “science diet” and suggest it’s some sort of healing prescription food, and it’s loaded with shit. Fillers, by-products, anything they can get away with to make it cheaper while charging more.
Really cynical and awful behavior, but not surprising.
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How cool is that! And I dig that patch on Munoz’ glove.
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I wanted a glove like that with Buddy’s likeness as soon as I saw it.
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That is an excellent take on pet parenthood.
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