Cat Cartoons

What are your favorite cat cartoons? Is your favorite feline cartoon Garfield? Or maybe is it Felix the Cat?

I a big fan of cat-inspired cartoons. I love most of them (even a couple of web comics). Cats can be quite funny, so it is no wonder that they have inspired so many cartoonists and artists.

If you would like to share your favorite cartoons cats with us, please submit your ideas here.

For more feline cartoons check the list below.

The world of cartoon cats

You’ve heard of Tom (from Tom and Jerry), Heathcliff, Top Cat and other famous feline cartoons.

But the list doesn’t stop there. In fact, we have an entire page devoted to some of the most popular cat cartoons.

However, that list doesn’t cover the entire cat cartoon universe. Here are more well-known feline cartoons:

• The Aristocats - This Disney classic follows the adventures of Duchess, a wealthy lady’s cat, and her kittens: Marie, Berlioz and Toulouse.

  In brief, the story goes like this: The butler kidnaps the cats in an effort to prevent them from inheriting his mistress’ fortune, which was left to the cats. Thomas O’Malley, a suave alley cat, helps them find their way back home. Throughout their adventure, the aristocats meet a host of interesting characters – and even get to sing and dance a little.

• Azrael - This dim-witted kitty appeared in The Smurfs. He was the pet of Gargamael the wizard.
• Baby Puss (The Flinstones) – This saber-tooth kitty (er, tiger) is Wilma and Fred Flinstones’ pet. Interestingly, Baby Puss appears in very few episodes. He is best known for appearing in the ending credits after each episode. You may recall Fred’s unsuccessful attempt at putting him outside for the night. I loved that sequence!

• Calvin and Hobbes – This is one of my all-time favorite comics. Calvin and Hobbes chronicles the adventures of a precocious and sassy six year old (Calvin) and his cynical stuffed tiger (Hobbes). I know, Hobbes is not a house cat, he’s a big cat – but he’s a feline nonetheless. This syndicated comic strip is written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson.

• CatDog – Well, this is only half a cat cartoon but I still wanted to include it. CatDog was created for Nickelodeon by Peter Hannan. It follows the antics of two brothers who share one body – one half of the body being a cat and the other half being a dog. Cat, of course, is the smartest half. Dog, not surprisingly, is the good-natured, easy going half. The original series ran from 1998 to 2001, for a total of 66 episodes.

• Fritz the Cat – This is not your typical G-rated cat-inspired comic strip. Fritz the Cat was created by Robert Crumb in 1959. This comic strip follows Fritz’ sordid life. He’s a feline swindler who likes drugs and wild sex. He also lacks morals and is a sore loser. And yet he thinks he’s the coolest cat around. Fritz was also featured in an x-rated animated film created by Ralph Bakshi.

• The Pink Panther – This animated cat first appeated in the opening and closing scenes of the The Pink Panther, the 1963 feature film starring Peter Sellers (Inspector Clouseau). This slick panther became so popular that it starred in on several short films and it had its own television show. The Pink Panther Show made its debut in 1969.

• Puss in Boots – This fairy tale cat was created by French author Charles Perrault. Originally titled Le Maistre Chat, ou Le Chat Botté (The Master Cat, or the Booted Cat), it tells the story of an astute cat who used deceit and craftiness to gain power and wealth for his master. There have been many cartoon versions of this boot-wearing feline. One of my favorite versions is the one voiced by Antonio Banderas in the movie Shrek.

• Si and Am (from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp) – These ill-natured twin Siamese cats are not only spiteful and cunning, but they make trouble wherever they go. Not the best representatives of this beautiful and sophisticated cat breed, that’s for sure. Singer Peggy Lee lent her voice to this troublesome pair. She also sang The Siamese Cat Song, which is part of Lady and the Tramp’s soundtrack.

• The Thundercats – This animated series made its debut in 1985. It chronicles the adventures of a band of catlike aliens. The series was based on Ted "Tobin" Wolf’s characters and it was produced by Rankin/Bass production. I must say that I loved these cartoon felines. Some of my favorite characters are Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, Snarf, Wilykit, and Wilykat.

Special Mention

Opposites Attract’s cat (a song performed by Paula Abdul) – I think this is one of the coolest cats of the 1980s. This cartoon cat plays Paul Abdul’s love interest in the song’s video.