Remaining teams: Bella and Douglas (Chicago Cats) Fancy Feast and Chef's Blend (Friskies Spokesperson Cats) Mei Xiang and Tian Tian (Panda Bears)

Part 1

Three teams. Two pandas, born in China, now living in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Two cats who ran in the 2000 presidential race, one with no tail and one with a tail. Two Hollywood cats, an orange short hair and a white longhair Persian. By the end of today, one of these teams will be the winner of The Amanxing Race.

The teams are awakened at 4:23 a.m. and are told to be in the lobby of the Red Victorian by 5 a.m. for their final instructions. Bella has had a good night's sleep; Douglas is a little tired from all his visitors. The pandas step over box after box of Chinese food they ordered from Kam's the night before. Fancy Feast hisses.

At 5, ex-President and ex-Socks owner, Bill Clinton steps into the lobby. Bill is there to supervise the awarding of the last clue of the Amanxing Race. He pets Bella, Mei Xiang, and Fancy Feast on the head, then when he says "GO," the Dead members hand the clue to their teams: "Fly to Washington, D.C. and go to the Rotunda of the Capitol Building. You'll receive your directions to the finish line from a famous American who's traveled down many roads."

Immediately, the pandas sprint out the door and into a cab. Bella and Douglas follow, while Fancy Feast gets into a fight with Chef's Blend over who's going to sit in the front of the cab. All parties end up on the same flight into Reagan National Airport, and are cautioned not to go to the litterbox in the last half-hour. Douglas fortunately catches up on his sleep on the flight, while the pandas eat their vegetarian meal.

The flight heads into D.C. airspace almost without incident. But look out: Fancy Feast is trotting up the aisle, to go to the litterbox. When ordered back to her seat, she hisses at the pilot. A phone call is placed to the ground, and because of poor cell phone reception, the air staff hears "disturbance... Persian... female..."

Upon arrival at Reagan National, Bella is startled to see all the police cars and fire trucks waiting. Bella and Douglas exit without incident and go out to the cab stand. The local air security officials run up to the gate, and immediately take Fancy Feast into custody, hissing and scratching all the way. An upset Chef's Blend impatiently jumps around and meows.

The Gruesome Twosome aren't the only pair having trouble. The pandas run into two zookeepers from the National Zoo, Peevley and Botch, and have to produce their Amanxing Race clues to prove that they haven't escaped. They meet Bella and Douglas in the cab line. And it's a race to the Capitol! On the way, Bella and Douglas' cab goes past the White House, and the pair contemplates what might have been had they won the 2000 election: sleeping in the Oval Office; throwing up on the carpet in the Blue Room; shedding all over the Lincoln Bed.

Lucky Bella and Douglas arrive at the Capitol first and run right to the Rotunda, looking all around. Over by the west doors a very old man with a large nose sits in a chair, holding a Domestic Shorthair kitten from the local shelter, chosen to represent all cats of the world. Their second-to-last greeter is Bob Hope!

They go over to Bob, and he tells them where the finish line is: "It's under a big scratching post!" The de-clawed Douglas gives Bella a funny look; he doesn't know what a scratching post is. Bella does, and as the west doors open, they look out and see their final destination: The Washington Monument.

Continued in part 2