Cats are one of the internet’s favourite creatures and you can’t scroll through social media these days without seeing a whiskered face looking back at you.
But this love of felines isn’t just a new fad - prior to the internet craze there were (and still are!) a number of famous cartoon cats that stole the show. Here’s the list of 10 favourite famous cartoon cats from comic books, films and TV shows.
1. Tom (Tom and Jerry)
Who doesn’t know the mischievous Thomas from Tom & Jerry? Tom is probably one of the most loved villains of all times. He often gets defeated and outsmarted by the tiny mouse, but he never gives up. A little-known fact is that Tom has been around since 1940. He actually made his very first appearance in 1940’s Puss Gets The Boot.
2. Sylvester (Looney Tunes)
Sylvester James Pussycat, Sr. is an anthropomorphic tuxedo cat in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoon series. He appeared in 103 cartoons in the golden age of American animation, lagging only behind superstars Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Daffy Duck. Three of his cartoons won Academy Awards.
3. Garfield (Garfield and Friends)
A list of famous cartoon cats wouldn’t be complete without mentioning this orange tabby with attitude. Known for his lazy, lasagne-loving persona, Garfield loves to tease his dog Odie and antagonise his owner Jon. He started off his career as a comic strip, but he’s become so popular he’s even had his own animated show and movies too.
4. Crookshanks (Harry Potter)
While we’re on the subject of famous grumpy cats, do you remember Crookshanks? He was not a villain (Ron Weasley might say otherwise!), but he was the most popular cat in Harry Potter. In the books and movies’ diverse abundance of magical creatures Crookshanks was a simple, ordinary ginger Himalayan cat. And while he was extremely intelligent, he was, indeed, always looking grumpy.
5. Puss In Boots (Puss in Boots)
Puss in Boots is the cute funny cat character in the Shrek franchise & protagonist of the film Puss in Boots, released in 2011. Puss’s character inspired by the title of the fairy tale “Puss in Boots”. Generally, The character received positive reviews, with critics praising his depiction and considering him a source of comic relief.
6. Top Cat (Top Cat)
Top Cat is a well-loved famous cartoon cat, but did you know that the animated TV show only ran from 1961–1962? The show followed the gang The Manhattan Alley Cats and their yellow tabby leader, Top Cat, whilst they carried out frequent get-rich-quick schemes. They were experts at evading Officer Charlie Dibble, a cop that tried to evict them from the alley. Interestingly, the show was inspired by The Phil Silvers Show and Top Cat himself was loosely based on Sergeant Bilko, a crafty con man from the show.
7. The Cheshire Cat (Alice In Wonderland)
Let’s focus on some positivity. And what’s more positive than the Cheshire Cat’s iconic smile? Well, it wasn’t exactly positive 100% of the time, but it was the last thing that always remained visible all those times when the Cheshire Cat’s body disappeared in the book and the movies from the Alice in Wonderland universe. Here’s a fun fact – the famous Cheshire Cat also appears in Radiohead, Taylor Swift, and Blink 182’s music.
8. Duchess (The Aristocats)
Duchess is the female cute cat character of Disney’s 1970 animated film, The Aristocats. She is the mother of Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse. Duchess is very elegant, beautiful, and ladylike, being the pet to an aristocrat. She is very devoted to her owner, Madame Adelaide Bonfamille.
9. The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss)
The Cat in the Hat is a 6ft tall anthropomorphic cat from the book and film of the same name. He’s known for donning his red and white striped hat and red bow tie and for his quick-witted humour. In both the book and film, The Cat in the Hat turns up at Sally and her brother’s house and enacts chaos with Thing One and Thing Two. Before he leaves, he uses a magical machine to clean up and disappears just before mum gets home.
10. Meowth (Pokémon)
Meowth is a Pokémon cat species in Nintendo and Game Freak’s Pokémon franchise. Meowth is a small, bipedal, feline Pokémon. It has two cream whiskers on both sides of its face has two hairs sticking up on either side of the golden coin-like gem on its forehead.
