Celebrity Cats
Bagpuss
Bagpuss was a popular BBC TV children’s program, which was first shown in 1974. There were a number of characters including, Madeleine, Gabriel, Professor Yaffle, The Mice and Emily. The main character was Bagpuss who was a saggy pink and yellow cloth cat. Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin created this program.
Cat in the Hat - Dr Seuss
This is a book in a series of Dr Seuss books. The story tells of a rhyming cat that arrives at a house and entertains a brother and a sister for the afternoon. After turning the house upside down he is able to magically clean the house before mum returns home. “TM & © Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. 1957. All Rights Reserved.”
Cats in Office... Socks
Socks, a mixed-breed cat, first came to the White House with the Clintons in 1993 and was a pet of Chelsea, the President’s daughter. He was the first cat to live in the White House since Amy Carter’s cat Misty Malarky Ying Yang. Socks was a very popular cat. Not only was he a guide for the White House website he also had his very own fan club. During President Clinton’s second term in office a new pet came to the White House, Buddy, a brown Labrador. When President Clinton’s term in Office was over, Buddy remained part of the Clinton Family. Socks did not! It was reported that Buddy and Sock’s did not get along. Since Chelsea could not bring the cat with her to Stanford University, Socks needed a new home. Betty Currie, Clinton’s White House Secretary, had become very fond of Socks and took him to live with her in the Washington Suburbs of Virgina. There is now a new cat in the White House, India, a female adult cat. India came with the Bush family along with two dogs. Ernie, a kitten, is also a pet of the family. However, Ernie was considered to be a bit wild for the White House and was sent to live with friends of the Bush’s in California.
Cats in Office....Humprey
Humphrey, a longhaired black and white cat, was described by many as one of the most popular and admired cats in Britain. As a resident of No. 10 Downing Street for eight years his official role was mouser to the Cabinet Office. He first arrived as a stray when Mrs Thatcher was in power and remained throughout the term of John Major. It was not all plain sailing for Humphrey. In 1995 he disappeared for 3 months, later to be discovered at his new residency. the Royal Army Medical College. He was immediately returned to No. 10 Downing Street. Later in his career he escaped death after avoiding the wheels of U.S. President Bill Clinton’s two-ton bulletproof Cadillac. A change of government in 1997 brought a new labour prime minister to Office, Mr Blair. Reports that Cherie Blair was allergic to cats and thought them to be unhygienic were denied by Downing Street. In November 1997 Humphrey retired from Downing Street for health reasons. It is believed that Humphrey had been suffering from a kidney complaint for some years and had lost his appetite. A spokesman for the opposition had said, “Humphrey is voting with his paws to leave the Downing Street lair. After eight happy years under a Conservative government he could only take six months of Labour before he lost interest in living”. Humphrey retired to a civil servants home in south London.
Cheshire Cat – Alice in Wonderland
A grinning Cheshire Cat who appears in the story of Alice in Wonderland. This cat is a bit mad but compared to the other characters can be described as sensible. In the book he is able to make himself appear and disappear.
Dick Whittington
Dick Whittington is a popular fairy tale which can be traced back to the fourteenth or fifteenth century. The story is about a cat who makes a fortune for his poor owner. Given that there was once a Mayor named Dick Whittington there is no evidence that he had a cat. The fairy tale story of Dick Whittington Story can be seen in many theatres across the world.
Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty is an animated cat created by a Japanese company called Sanrio, a character gift business. Also known as ‘Kitty-Chan’ she first appeared in 1975 on a plastic coin purse. The popularity of this cute cat has increased over the years and she now appears on many items, from toilet paper to instant noodles.
Hog Dog
Dennis the Menace, created by Hank Kelcham, has featured in television shows, movies and comic book/ strips. Dennis is always up to mischief. Hot Dog is Dennis’s cat who got his nickname because of his mustard colored coat.
Leo the MGM Lion
This Lion is famous for roaring at the beginning of each MGM film. Leo made his debut on July 31, 1928, in a film called the 'White Shadows of the South Sea'. However, given that it was a silent movie the roar was actually heard through a phonograph.
Library Cats
The Library Cat Society (LCS) was recently formed in the USA in 1987 and promotes cats in libraries. Two of the most famous library cats are Baker and Taylor who lived in a library in Minden, Nevada.
Milo
Milo, who is a kitten, plays alongside his friend Otis in the film 'The Adventures of Milo & Otis'. Made by Japanese director Masanori Hata, this 1989 film follows the adventures of Milo and his dog friend Otis. The film is both narrated and voiced by Dudley Moore.
Morris
Morris, an orange colored cat, became popular when he appeared on television advertising cat food. Morris won a PATSY in 1973.
Orangey
Orangey will be most remembered for his performance as 'Cat' in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Hard to work with and short-tempered even his owner Frank Inn disliked him. However having won two Past Awards, he was considered to be one of the best animal actors in the world.
Puss-in-Boots
A happy story, where the cat cleverly brings his master and the princess together. Puss-in-Boots is well known for his cloak, hat with a feather, bag and high boots.
Salem
We all know Salem from the TV show Sabrina. Salem Saberhagen is a black-colored American Shorthair cat that lives with Sabrina, a teenage witch and two other witches, Aunt Hilda and Zelda. Salem was once a witch himself. However, after a failed attempt of world denomination the witches’ counsel punished him by turning him into a cat with no powers. This sentence was to last 100 years. Salem is quite eccentric and mad. He studied English at University and his favorite paper is the Economist. On the show we often see him singing, surfing the net and reading boring books. Salem’s voice is that of Nick Bakay. When we see Salem on the show we are seeing a combination of puppets, real cats and an actor.
Syn
Syn, a siamese cat, played the titled role of D.C. in the 1965 Walt Disney Production 'The Darn Cat'. Syn was rewarded with a Pasty. A remake of 'The Darn Cat' took place in 1997.
The Lion King
Walt Disney’s Lion King tells the story of Simba, an African cub who is heir to the throne. Simba believes he is the cause of his father’s death and goes into exile. However, it is the king’s brother, the evil Scar, who is responsible. When Simba grows up he decides to claim his birthright. Lion King II, Simba’s Pride (1998), is more of a Romeo and Juliet film.