What is it About Cats in Cartoons!

 

Cat Chronicles:

We have all seen our cats in cartoon form, so what is it that brings out such laughter, when we see the antics that these cats get up to….

It cant just be any animal, so what is it that inspires us to want to switch over to see a cat cartoon at any time we see a new cartoon has been made.

I have been looking into this strange phenomenon to see what it’s really all about, so lets unravel the mysteries of why we are so drawn to our furry felines, when it comes to seeing them in cartoons.

 

What is it about the Cat

Have you ever seen a cat that does not burst with pride when you call their name and start to rub your legs and more often than not ask you for food. (Cant hurt, can it).

Of course, at times, when you want the attentions of your cat…. and you know the saying- “They will take a message and get back to you”  how frustrating is that! ahhhhh….

I know myself with two furry felines in my household, only too well the antics they get up to. And they ALL DO IT!

Is there a secret society that all these cats have a manual of how to act around their humans….

I must add, that our cats are strictly indoor cats, so any antics in the house, I am an expert on. Because you have it 24/7.  Is this a good thing?  well most of the time, considering they sleep most of those hours. I think, I cant find them, panic….  where are they. Maybe they got out, after pacing around the house a couple of times, the alarm bells ring. Only to find that they are sleeping in a cupboard or some place out of human eye altogether. Then you sigh with relief when you know that they are safe.

Actually I find it comforting when my cats have decided to grace their company on me more during the day instead of sleeping much of the day away. O’ except for meal time, have you found how well their natural in built alarm clock seems to be so accurate when meal time comes around.

And do you think they will leave you alone, as the time approaches, closer and closer to D-time!.  One way to beat the incessant and constant rubbing around your legs as you all too well… and try to make every single step to walk somewhere, with their chorus of meow, meow, which changes to different tones.  Like a metal detector;  if you suddenly change direction that goes towards the kitchen, their tone goes from mid-meow, to a higher pitched-meow, to a desperate-meow. Only to be dashed in their hopes if your direction changes away from the kitchen to a more quickened – meow. As to say “Your going the wrong way!”

So as the time gets close to the their dinner time, you are wondering how you can hold out and wait to feed them at the right expected time every day. In fear that if you give in and feed your kitty earlier than normal kitty will think they can get away with it every day!

Sooooo… you sit down, this way your “not being tripped every inch you try to walk mode”  in your own house. Or is it, your own house…. or theirs ….. hmmmm.

Well…. now you have sat down, great, you will have no more trouble from your cat. Wrong; how about these two big saucer eyes staring at you, almost as it would seem, not to blink.

Watching you every movement, one little movement. And the cat almost pounces into action towards the kitchen. No you haven’t moved far, only fidgeted, so they resume their place, watching you. I know… they can stay like this for half an hour or more. You cannot escape as the time winds down to kitty feed time. I have also been known to falsely attempt to get up just to tease… and when my cat knows that they have been tricked, calmly resumes their visual until they have broken you. You just have to feed them.

Right, its TIME. Up you get, and your feline friend springs into action, tail goes straight up in the air, meow, meow, meow, starts as they run in front of you, tripping you up at every turn, hindering your normal step, so not to tread on them, as you make your way into the kitchen. The fridge is the hotspot, and your cat knows it!

If their not bouncing up onto your bench trying to push your hand out of the way as you put their cat food into their own personal bowl, (and by the way.. when their pushing your hand out of the way with their nose, THEIR STRONG!.

I cant help loving their ways, can you?

 

 Creating the cartoons

So…. when it comes to people making a cartoon of cats. They have allot to work with. Cats have a unique way of bring out the laughter in us that other animals don’t. Their highly elaborate actions in getting what they want has been mastered thought the ages with their human companions.  Would have us in ore, if we took a little time just to think how they have managed to sway us to their ways of thinking.

Think of the cartoon “Top Cat” I used to look at this when I was a child, and would never get tired of it. And of course our old friend Garfield, if ever was a cat, was Garfield. His antics and me, me ,me. Has gained him fame that took his cartoon form to movie status. And with computer arts these days, having an animation in movie form with natural surroundings and people have opened up a hole new world, to the imagination.

We capture the cats, antics well, their need of warmth and food, of course.. O’ and don’t forget the comforts of home. Garfield is all for himself and his master. His way of governing his surroundings to the way he wants. Has been captured so well on the movies, yet cartoons are our way of expressing our observations of what the cat means to us. Like them or not, the at has a way of enticing their complex ways onto us in a way that we cant resist. Their traits have been well captured on cartoon, right through to their ways of getting us to do what they want.

Our affections towards them are guarded jealousy, and they will try everything up their sleeve to keep it. Cartoonists have harnessed this close and complex union with cats and ourselves, that you cant but say to yourself, or the person next to you. “Who does that remind you off?” when you see the cartoon cat doing something just like your cat does.

A perfect example, and one I would suggest you go to see “Simons cat videos” at u-tube, he has captured the cat so well when you get the chance, you will have such a laugh. I did….

Cartoons done in detail or basic, does it matter?, I wonder when it comes to humor, that I don’t think that it matters how detailed the cartoon is, if the story is something we are all going to find funny. We are looking at the content, It doesn’t have to be a long story, in fact with cats. It can be very short, but in those minutes that we see some act going on, whether the cat is trying to get a place on its own chair, or trying to find its toy, we are bound for some treats by these lovable characters.

As you can see, we have talked about their unique ways and frustrating deeds to get us to do what they want. To our using these ideas to bring them to life in cartoon. We have control only in the cartoons. when you think about it……

Cats get us to do what they want in real life, yet we can control their actions in the world of the cartoon. And their cute ways of getting what they want or how they want things to go for them in their world around them have captivated us. Cartoonists have taken it a step further, they are showing us that what we are laughing at in their cat cartoons, are really what we are dealing with every day. And we wouldn’t be without our cats.

I would say… “The house is not a home, without a Cat”

 

The next article that I will be writing in the Cat Chronicles  is titled,  “What’s with the Cat!” Hang on to your shirts for this one.

 

Recourse Box

Andrea Balch Webmaster of Pets of the Realm. Residing in Australia  and The United Kingdom. Having a great devotion the animals of this world. Artist and poet. www.pets-of-the-realm.com subscribe link to auto responder. Permission to reproduce if byline stays intact, courtesy copy appreciated; not required. Also available for publishers to re-distribute to their publicity-friends.