List of fictional felines explained

This is a list of fictional cats and felines and is a subsidiary to the list of fictional animals. It includes a limited selection of notable felines from various works, organized by medium. More complete lists are accessible by clicking on the "Main article" link included above each category. For fictional large felids such as lions and tigers, see List of fictional big cats.

In literature

This section deals with notable cat characters that appear in literature works of fiction including books, comics, legends, myths, folklore, and fairy tales. Any character that appears in several pieces of literature will be listed only once, under the earliest work.

In books

See main article: List of fictional cats in literature.

CharacterEarliest AppearanceNotes
Cheshire CatAlice's Adventures in WonderlandSometimes raises philosophical points that annoy or baffle Alice. It does, however, appear to cheer her up when it turns up suddenly at the Queen of Hearts' croquet field, and when sentenced to death baffles everyone by having made its head appear without its body, sparking a massive argument between the executioner and the King and Queen of Hearts about whether something that does not have a body can indeed be beheaded.
CrookshanksHarry PotterThe pet cat of Hermione Granger. He is described as having a "squashed face", which was inspired by a real cat Rowling once saw, which she said looked like it had run face first into a brick wall, most likely a Persian. Hermione buys Crookshanks from a shop in Diagon Alley out of sympathy, as nobody wants him because of his behaviour and his squashed looking-face. Rowling has confirmed that Crookshanks is half Kneazle,[1] an intelligent, cat-like creature who can detect when they are around untrustworthy people, explaining his higher than normal cat intelligence and stature.
Pete the CatPete the Cat: I Love My White ShoesPete started as a book series, and later became an inspiration for a song and its own television series on Amazon Prime.[2]
The Cat in the HatThe Cat in the HatThe Cat in the Hat is a tall, anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. The Cat creates chaos when he shows up at the house of Sally and her brother while their mother is out. The children and the fish become very alarmed. Just before the children's mother arrives home the Cat uses a machine to clean up the mess, and then disappears.
SnowbellStuart LittleSnowbell is a cat belonging to the Little family, of which Stuart is the youngest son. Snowbell has a malevolent attitude toward Stuart, though her behavior is tempered by her familial obligations. When the Little family adopt a bird named Margalo, Snowbell plots to kill her, predicating her departure. Stuart follows, and his pursuit comprises the second half of the story.
Speaker-to-AnimalsRingworld and Man-Kzin Wars book seriesMember of the Kzinti race of anthropomorphic felines in the Larry Niven collection of books. One of the few to have earned the right to bear a name.

In comics

See main article: List of fictional cats in comics.

CharacterOriginNotes
GarfieldGarfieldGarfield is an orange tabby cat born in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant (later revealed in the television special Garfield: His 9 Lives to be Mama Leoni's Italian Restaurant) and immediately ate all the pasta and lasagna in sight, thus developing his love and obsession for lasagna.[3] [4] As an adult he is fat and lazy but extremely intelligent and fond of wisecracks in thought bubbles, with his owner Jon Arbuckle serving as a comic foil for him.
HeathcliffHeathcliffA boisterous and chubby but athletic tabby cat prone to wisecracks, causing physical mischief, chasing mailmen, and overturning garbage cans. Other felines from the strip include: The Catfather.[5]
HobbesCalvin and HobbesThe plush Bengal tiger and best friend of the comic's protagonist, Calvin, Hobbes is perceived by Calvin as being a live tiger, but by every other character as a stuffed toy. Hobbes, whose name is an allusion to the English political philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, often tries to be the voice of reason for Calvin during their numerous adventures.
Krazy KatKrazy KatOne of the first cats to star in a comic strip; the protagonist of the eponymous strip by George Herriman. Sweet and good-natured and simple, adores the scheming, wily, antisocial Ignatz Mouse even though Ignatz constantly plots against him.
Bucky B. KattGet FuzzyA sarcastic Siamese cat with an inflated ego, Bucky lives in an apartment with his human owner Rob Wilco and a dog named Satchel. Bucky's obsessions include becoming famous, inflicting harm on his roommates for perceived injustices and feuding with Fungo, a ferret who lives next door. Bucky is always drawn with his ears folded back, as if he is constantly in a state of aggressiveness or agitation.
SnufflesPearls Before SwineA Himalayan White Cat who likes to hold grenades and throw them everywhere. He is owned by Zebra and is best friends with Guard Duck who likes to make armies and use guns.

In legends, myths, folklore and fairy tales

CharacterOriginNotes
Maneki-nekonowrapVarious folk-storiesA common Japanese sculpture, often made of ceramic, which is believed to bring good luck to the owner. The sculpture depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed—many times at the entrance—in shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning.
PussPuss in BootsOriginally titled or, this French fairytale is about a cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth and the hand of a princess in marriage for his penniless and low-born master.
Cat-sìthnowrapVarious folk-storiesA fairy creature from Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its breast.
The White CatLa Chatte BlancheThe White Cat is a character of the Animal Bride cycle of stories (ATU 402). It is present in a variant of the story: French literary fairytale, penned by Madame d'Aulnoy. The character also features as a cameo in Tchaikovisky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty, during Aurora's wedding in Act III.
Señor Don GatoChildren's songA cat who is sitting on a roof when he discovers that his true love has agreed to marry him. In his excitement, he falls off and injures himself. The veterinarian is unable to save him and he dies. However, as his funeral procession passes through the market, the scent of fish from the market is so strong that he returns to life.

In media

This section deals with notable cat characters that appear in media works of fiction including film, television, animation, and puppetry. Any character that appears in several pieces of media will be listed only once, under the earliest work.

In film

See main article: List of fictional cats in film.

CharacterOriginNotes
Mr. BigglesworthAustin PowersA parody of Blofeld's cat from James Bond films
DCThat Darn Cat!A wily, adventurous Siamese tomcat who lives with two young women, suburbanite sisters Ingrid and Patti Randall, whose parents are traveling abroad at the time of the story. In the 1997 remake the cat is a grey and white tabby.
FilbyPrimerAaron’s cat. When missing, called by name by Aaron and Abe during the fountain scene.[6] Filby is most likely named after a character in the science fiction novel, The Time Machine, written by H.G. Wells in 1894.[7]
JakeThe Cat from Outer SpaceA cat-like alien. His real name is Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7.
Puss in BootsShrek 2A cat from the Shrek franchise, voiced by Antonio Banderas in English, Italian, and Spanish in the following films: Shrek 2 and Far Far Away Idol in 2004, Shrek the Third (2007), Shrek Forever After (2010), Puss in Boots (2011), (2012), and (2022). Puss was voiced by Eric Bauza in the six-season series The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and by Andé Sogliuzzo and Christian Lanz in the video games. Sogliuzzo also voiced Puss in the series of one-minute web videos by DreamWorks in which Puss gives advice to viewers.
PyewacketBell, Book and CandleSiamese cat and familiar of Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak), who is a witch
SmarfToo Many CooksAn anthropomorphic cat puppet used in the short, a parody of various other puppets used in sitcoms.

In television

See main article: List of fictional cats in television.

Puss in Boots is the DreamWorks character from Shrek 2 and Puss in Boots of 2011 who appears in the streaming television series, The Adventures of Puss in Boots (2015-2018). Voiced by Eric Bauza, this is a six season series that streamed on Netflix. It is a spin-off of the 2011 movie and movies of the Shrek franchise.

On television, the movie, Puss in Boots (2011) was streamed on both Amazon and Netflix. The DreamWorks version of Puss in Boots is a cat from the Shrek franchise, who is also the protagonist of Puss in Boots (2011). Puss in Boots was voiced by Antonio Banderas in English, Italian & Spanish in the following films: Shrek 2 & Far Far Away Idol in 2004, Shrek the Third (2007), Shrek Forever After (2010), Puss in Boots (2011), (2012), & (2022).

Puss was voiced by Eric Bauza in the six-season series, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and by Andé Sogliuzzo[8] & Christian Lanz[9] in the video games. Sogliuzzo also voiced Puss in the series of one-minute web-videos by DreamWorks wherein Puss gives advice to viewers.

CharacterOriginNotes
The CatRed DwarfA Felis Sapiens which evolved from a domestic housecat, is played by Danny John-Jules in the BBC TV science fiction sitcom.
SpotData's Somali cat seen in . Later appearances of Spot show an orange mackerel tabby with no reason given for the significant change. Spot's gender is usually given as male, but Spot is a female in the episode "Genesis" and gives birth to a litter of kittens. Spot is a male in Star Trek Generations.

On stage

See main article: Jellicle cats. The stage musical Cats features many feline characters known as Jellicle cats.

In animation

See main article: List of fictional cats in animation.

CharacterOriginNotes
"Baby Puss"The FlintstonesA saber tooth tiger housecat that is seen in the beginning of the episodes going with the Flintstones and Dino to the movies; a running gag is at the end of the episode Fred puts the cat out, who runs back inside and puts Fred out. Rarely seen outside this role in the series except three episodes.
CakeAdventure TimeA gender/species swapped version of "Jake the dog" from the Cartoon Network show Adventure Time
FelixFelix the CatA black cat and "one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history."[10]
Gumball WattersonThe Amazing World of GumballA 12-year-old anthropomorphic blue cat, who is the titular character
MC Skat KatOpposites AttractAnthropomorphic cat rapper and leader of the Stray Mob that sings and dances with Paula Abdul.
LeoBlinky Bill’s Extraordinary Balloon Adventure
Susie McCallisterSummer Camp Island
StimpyThe Ren & Stimpy ShowA dimwitted and happy-go-lucky rotund Manx cat with red and white fur, white gloves, a large blue nose.
SylvesterLooney TunesBlack and white cat who commonly carries out predatory schemes on Tweety and Speedy Gonzales.
TomTom and JerryA gray/blue cat who has a love-hate relationship with Jerry Mouse.

In video games

This section deals with notable characters who are prominently featured in various video game titles, either as main characters or notable supporting characters.

Puss in Boots is in the Shrek series of video games and some of his own. The Adventures of Puss in Boots, the TV series includes an episode that is an interactive video game called Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale. Puss was voiced by Eric Bauza in the six-season series, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and by Andé Sogliuzzo & Christian Lanz in the video games. Sogliuzzo also voiced Puss in the series of one-minute web-videos by DreamWorks wherein Puss gives advice to viewers.

Puss in Boots was in games related to the Shrek franchise movies. Puss in Boots (video game) Andre Sogliuzzo is the voice of Puss in Boots in Puss in Boots: The Video Game. There is an interactive video / game with Eric Bauza as Puss In Boots, called Puss in Book that is part of the TV series. There is a web series with Andé Sogliuzzo (2014-2015) and Christian Lanz (2015-2016) playing Puss in Boots in one-minute webisodes giving everyday advice to his fans.

CharacterGamePlatform(s)Notes
BigSonic AdventureDreamcastA large, purple anthropomorphic cat with yellow eyes and long ears. Big is laid-back[11] and easygoing, which is reflected in his speech.[12] Strong but gentle and a little slow,[13] he lives a normally peaceful life in the jungle with his best friend "Froggy". He loves fishing, and he is never without his favorite rod and lure.
BlazeSonic RushNintendo DSA lavendar teenage girl cat who is a princess of an alternate dimension.
BlinxXboxA young Time Sweeper who is main protagonist of Blinx the Time Sweeper. He's featured as a support character in Blinx 2. His enemies mostly include Time Monsters and the Tom Tom Gang.
BubsyBubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred KindSega GenesisAn anthropomorphic bobcat who aims to take on aliens that stole much of the world's (including his) yarn balls.[14]
Cait SithFinal Fantasy VIIPlayStation[15] is a robotic talking cat who is friendly, but often unreliable and speaks with a Scottish accent. In Final Fantasy VII, he rides on the back of an unnamed robotic moogle.
JuddSplatoonWii UA gray and white cat who determines the winning team in Turf War battles. Prior to the events of Splatoon, Judd was cryogenically frozen and placed inside a capsule that allowed him to stay alive while all other land mammals perished due to rising sea levels. He is accompanied by his smaller clone, Lil' Judd, in Splatoon 2 and 3.
KabegamiŌkamiPlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation 3, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo SwitchKabegami (壁神?; God of Walls) is the Celestial brush god of Catwalk. She is depicted as a cat sitting vertically on a painting with a large koi at the top of the frame, and her constellation is found after feeding a hungry cat at the top of a very high tower known as Catcall Tower, from which the cat's echoing meows can be heard. Statues of Kabegami are also found in many places across Nippon, and they are a key element of using the Catwalk ability.
MorganaPersona 5PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4A black cat serving as the mentor of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts with the code name Mona.
Mr. MidnightFran BowWindowsA yellow-eyed black cat who is owned by the titular Fran Bow and was given to her as a gift from her parents. He goes missing throughout the first chapter of the game.
PopoiPuyo Puyo FeverPlayStation 2, Dreamcast, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Xbox
SpitzGame Boy AdvanceA yellow cat with a Bronx accent serving as a taxi driver in Diamond City.
Talking Tom A grey cat who repeats sounds in a high-pitched voice.

In advertising and animatronics

CharacterOriginNotes
ChessieMascot of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and later the Chessie SystemAppeared with the slogan "sleep like a kitten".
Crusty the CatAnimatronic character at Chuck E Cheese's Pizza Time TheatreOne of the original Pizza Time Players and was present at the original Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California. He was replaced by Mr. Munch in 1978.[16]
Hector the CatMascot created to aid the teaching of road safety to children in AustraliaCurrently the mascot of Northern Territory Department of Transport to teach road safety to children
Mimsie the CatMascot of the MTM Enterprises logo
Morris the CatMascot for 9Lives cat foodAppeared on packaging and many television commercials.
Walter (AKA Walter the cat)Star of 3 Chevrolet truck commercialsPlayed by six gray, domestic shorthair tabby cats, "Walter" appeared in three Chevy Silverado TV commercials in 2021 and 2022. The first one, entitled "Cat", aired during the 2021 Summer Olympics. The sequel, called "Walter in Winter," was broadcast during the 2022 Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LVI (both as a 30-second spot and a 60-second spot).[17] [18] Ad-makers and reporters say that Walter the cat does things people would expect of a dog, but he is a cat, so he showed what cats can do. That included herding cows, swimming and fetching a stick from a lake, digging a skier out of the snow, and chasing a mailman. Walter co-starred with John Hoogenakker.[19] [20] [21] [22] Walter also appeared with Chris Pratt for the same truck in 2022.[23]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rowling . J. K. . J. K. Rowling . J. K. Rowling's Official Website . Crookshanks . 30 June 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110916173905/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=10 . 16 September 2011 .
  2. Web site: Amazon Greenlights Kids Series 'Pete The Cat' & 'Costume Quest'. Denise. Petski. February 13, 2017. Dateline. May 21, 2019.
  3. Web site: Garfield. December 14, 1984. Garfield.com. July 26, 2008.
  4. Phil Roman (Director), Lorenzo Music (Voice). Garfield: His Nine Lives [Television production]. Television (Original), VHS. . 1988 (television), 1993 (VHS)
  5. Book: Rovin, Jeff. The Illustrated History of Cartoon Animals. Prentice Hall. New York, USA. 1991. 0-13-275561-0. 117.
  6. Web site: Tim S. The Primer Universe: The Time Machine. The Primer Universe. 9 July 2015. 5 May 2009.
  7. Web site: Free Study Guide for The Time Machine by H. G. Wells-Book Summary (Characters). 11 August 2016.
  8. Web site: Andre Sogliuzzo. Behind the Voice Actors. April 8, 2023.
  9. Web site: Christian Lanz. Behind the Voice Actors. April 8, 2023.
  10. Web site: Cart . Michael . The Cat With the Killer Personality . The New York Times . 30 November 2019 . 31 March 1991.
  11. Sega. Sonic Adventure Instruction Manual. Characters: Big the Cat . Sega. 1999. pp. 28.
  12. Sega. Sonic Heroes Instruction Manual. Team Rose. Sega. 2004 . pp. 11.
  13. Web site: Sega of America . Sega of America . Big's official character profile from Sega of America . https://web.archive.org/web/20050305082053/http://www.sega.com/sonic/globalsonic/post_allabout.php?article=soniccharacters . 2005-03-05 . 2008-03-22.
  14. Web site: Bubsy in Claw Encounters of the Furred Kind. March 28, 2007. 2016-01-14. Rodger Swan. Sega-16.
  15. Web site: Final Fantasy VII: Top 10 Characters. . . 2010-02-24 . 2 . Smith, Dave . 2008-03-25 .
  16. Web site: Showbiz Pizza.com Crusty the Cat .
  17. Web site: Cat Enjoys Dog Days Of Winter For Chevy Silverado, Commonwealth//McCann . 2022-11-13 . SHOOTonline . en.
  18. Web site: Watch Lil Nas X Win a Dance-Off Against Sam Elliott in Doritos' Super Bowl 2020 Commercial. People.com. en. February 3, 2020.
  19. Walter The Cat Chevy Commercial. WE LOVE CATS & DOGS.
  20. Web site: Draper . Don . 2022-05-28 . Who is the actor in the Chevy cat commercial? . 2022-11-05 . AdvertisingRow.com Home of Advertising Professionals, Advertising news, Infographics, Job offers . en-US.
  21. Web site: Walter the Chevy Cat is Back, and More Doglike Than Ever .
  22. Web site: Chevrolet: 2022 Chevy Silverado - Walter in Winter • Ads of the World™ Part of The Clio Network . 2022-11-13 . Ads of the World™.
  23. Web site: Putzer . Mark . 2021-09-22 . What Do Chris Pratt, a Cat, a Steer, and a Chevy Silverado ZR2 Have in Common? . 2022-11-07 . MotorBiscuit . en-US.