Cats vs. Dogs: The Top Seeds Have Left The Building

Do you feel that? It’s fur. And it’s static-y, brimming with energy and excitement and electricity — because the end of the big dance is near. But first, there are two tough players waiting to move forward, to take a shot at greatness. The Final Four is around the corner, so grab your sunblock, because someone’s getting burned.

For an updated, printable version of the bracket (above), click here.For the original version, you can print from here.

First, a recap of yesterday’s intense games: In a stunning upset, #12 seed Hobbes — a cartoon tiger — took down the real thing, the top-seeded IRL Tiger. Reality bites in more ways than one. Meanwhile, the dog conference saw an upset themselves, with #4 Corgi taking down #1 Golden Retriever. But neither cat nor dog went down without a fight: Both victories were only by less than 7% (and in the context of this tournament, that’s quite close).

Looking ahead, your eyes do not deceive you; there will not be a #1 seed in the championship. Take a second and let that sink in.

And now, let the games begin!

Dachshund (6) vs. Mutt (15)

Who would’ve thought Mutt would make it this far? Maybe it’s not a surprise given the mutt’s superior intelligence (usually) over its purebred peers. It’s the little dog that could — just like its opponent, Dachshund. Its diminutive size is but a ruse; its personality is quite large and lively. It’s the scrappy upstart versus the happy hot dog, and things could go either way.

Tabby (2) vs. Tuxedo (3)

With the #1 seed Tiger out of the game, we’re left with a face-off between our remaining top seeds. The Tabby is your classic house cat, bookstore cat, bodega cat…often, even, stray cat. It’s ubiquitous, a domestic dominator. In the other corner we have Tuxedo, also a house cat that can hold its own against the Tabby in any setting. The Tuxedo’s strength is in its classic formalwear, not rare but not quite commonplace either. The Tuxedo is a special occasion, but constant and fuzzy. The claws are out.