Watch: Meet Marta, MVP of Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl IX

You might have heard about the big game on Sunday… No, we're not talking about the Super Bowl — we're talking about the one and only Puppy Bowl!

Each year, Animal Planet hosts the two-hour pup-stravaganza featuring hard-playing puppies battling for the title of Most Valuable Pup. This year, that honor went to Marta, a diminutive schnauzer-beagle mix who outran players twice her size to earn the title.

The Puppy Bowl is not only an adorable alternative to the macho, hyper-masculinity of the Super Bowl, it's also an important awareness-raising event about adoptable dogs and cats. All the critters featured in the Puppy Bowl are available for adoption — though the Associated Press reports that most have been adopted by the time the game airs, since it's filmed in October. But nevertheless, the puppy players, hedgehog cheerleaders, hamster blimp pilots, and kitten halftime entertainers clearly have a ball, and many find forever homes as a result of the annual game.

Meet the MVP of Puppy Bowl XI, Marta, below. And click to the next page to watch the kitten halftime show.

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Not to perpetuate stereotypes, but we had a feeling some SheWired readers might also appreciate a recap of the halftime show, featuring some really adorable kittens.