Cathy Cat


 * “When people laugh at Cathy Cat, it's because she's so human; and that is the secret of her popularity. I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a cat.”
 * ―Nellie Calico

Cathy Cat is an animated character created by Nellie Calico and Michael Shutter in 1928. She is an anthropomorphic cat characterized as a cheerful optimist with an adventurous and mischievous streak. Estimated as standing 2' 3" (69 centimeters) and weighing 23 pounds (10 kilograms), Cathy is easily identified by her pointy ears, red skirt, unique voice, white gloves and cartoonishly large red shoes.

For 90 years, Cathy has been the cornerstone of the Calico empire. Her success paved the way for numerous breakthroughs in both the art of animation and the entertainment industry as a whole. Cathy's significance in pop culture came simultaneously with her public debut in Nurse Kitty, where she first wowed audiences with her cheerful smile and scampish personality.

From there, Cathy rapidly rose to the pinnacle of American culture, becoming the most popular and recognizable cartoon character in the world and the prime influence of following cartoons. She's since appeared in over 130 films and has received a combined eleven honors from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1978, Cathy became the first fictional character to receive a star on the Maplewood Walk of Fame.

For all her acclaim, none have viewed Cathy more fondly than Nellie Calico herself. The two were widely regarded as "alter-egos" by peers and historians; it was said by James Calico that Cathy and Nellie were so simpatico, they seemed almost like the same identity. Historians have often pointed out that Cathy's career mirrored that of Nellie's; at the start, they were insignificant figures struggling to make an impact in the filmmaking industry, only to become international icons over the years.

Today, Cathy is, by far, The Nellie Calico Company's most famous character and serves as the company's mascot. Her 1-circle-3-triangle silhouette serves as the logo for most of Calico's subsidiaries, save for the ones that don't carry the 'Calico' or 'Nellie Calico' label.

Background
Cathy comes from a stable, nuclear family. According to the Italian story Once Upon a Time... In America, Cathy's father has a wealthy background, which he built with the help of his future wife (and Cathy's mother). By his parents, Cathy has an older brother named Wendell Wildcat. She once stated that he has no sisters. By Wendell, Cathy has twin nephews named Curly and Creamy Wildcat, whom she occasionally watches over. According to Melody Time, "Cathy and the Culture Clash" and "The Fancy Ladies", Cathy's full name is Catherine Cat.

Cathy is normally depicted as living a modest life with her pet rabbit, Mars. She has a longtime boyfriend named Casey Cat, whom she spends most of her free time with. According to Nellie Calico, Cathy and Casey are married in private life and are merely depicted as dating onscreen.

Cathy's occupational status is dependent on the story, but she is usually portrayed as a jack-of-all-trades, working as anything from a nurse to a sorcerer's apprentice. The most recurring employer of Cathy's is the Ajax Corporation, where she has worked alongside her best friends, Basil Bunny and Dizzy. Ajax consists of a variety of odd jobs (ghost exterminators, car washers, rollercoaster painters, etc.) and most of Cathy's assignments end up in failure due to his and his team's incompetence. In comic stories, Cathy has frequently been portrayed as a detective working closely with her friend Marcia Mudcollar and the Chief of Police, Chief O'Hara.

Though not for pay, Cathy has been a regular contributor to her local orphanage—which houses hundreds of nameless kittens—for many years. With help from Casey, Basil and other friends, Cathy has organized numerous benefits for the orphans such as picnic outings and theatre shows. In some cartoons, she and Mars have even welcomed the orphans into their home.

In some continuities such as that of Blacktail Bunny, A Dizzy Movie, and numerous meta Calico productions like Cathy's Cathouse, Cathy is portrayed as an A-list celebrity made famous by her theatrical cartoon shorts, which are said to be based on real events in her life.

Personality

 * “Cathy's a little bit in your face. Cathy's like, 'Hey! I'm smart, I can do anything, I get into trouble, but I can get out of it... I'm sort of rebellious, you know. I live by my own rules.' She's an adolescent dream, is what she is. Rebelling and making it work, that's Cathy.”
 * ―Writer Ron Suskind during the American Experience: Nellie Calico special on PBS

Cathy's most widely known traits are her wholesomeness and charisma. In contrast to this, Cathy is also rather mischievous; a scrappy, free-spirited rebel with a head full of curiosity, optimism and slight arrogance, Cathy has a habit of finding herself in a wide array of self-inflicted trouble—sometimes comical, sometimes highly consequential. Nevertheless, she is also quick-thinking and crafty and is thus able to save herself from the varying danger, ending out on top in the end. Because of her small size and limited resources, Cathy often relies on her wit to overcome adversity. Her craftiness is also put into good use when looking for ways to make life easier for herself, even if she knowingly has to break a few rules in the process, being somewhat of a schemer in this sense.

While her success elevates her ego and drives her to act selfishly at times, Cathy is a devoted friend and cares deeply for her loved ones. This is most prominently displayed in her relationship with her longtime boyfriend, Casey Cat. The two are shown to be deeply in love with each other, and as such, Cathy has repeatedly gone to great lengths to both ensure Casey's happiness, and to impress him (sometimes out of insecurity of losing her, as seen in "Cathy's Cooking"). In turn, Casey is an avid supporter of Cathy and openly returns her sentiments. Though her habit of forgetting special occasions and other important matters annoy him, Casey simultaneously serves as Cathy's better half, bringing out the best of her, even after her own flaws create significant mayhem.

Cathy is also a reliable leader and is well-respected amongst her peers because of this. When put in charge of production, for example (such as a stage show or the Cathouse nightclub theater) she tends to be rather professional and composed, even when hecklers and other inconveniences get in the way. Another great example of Cathy's reliability can be seen in various cartoons in which Cathy stars alongside her best friends, the ill-tempered Basil Bunny and exceptionally clumsy Dizzy. Cathy is able to handle issues fairly better than both Basil and Dizzy, as her temper and clumsiness are not as distracting for himself as they are for her two comrades. Though whimsical and childlike in her own right, Cathy's maturity shines its brightest when paired with Basil and Dizzy showing that, for all her foibles, she can act as a level-headed "voice of reason" when the situation calls for it. Cathy's selflessness is also highlighted when paired with the two. For example, as seen numerous times with Dizzy, Cathy tends to act as a passive friend, as she cares a great deal for Dizzy's happiness, and therefore puts up with a fair amount of nonsense for the latter's sake. At times, Cathy can be too caring towards others, which can drive her to disregard his own needs, though she has her limits. Empathetic to a fault, Cathy will gladly come to someone's aid if they appear to be in need, though she sometimes allows her sympathetic heart to blind her better judgment. In Epic Cathy, Cathy sacrificed her only chance of escaping the Wasteland to save Marjorie and Archie, both of whom she had just met. This — among other feats — proved to Marjorie that Cathy's nobility was genuine, and in turn, motivated her to work alongside the cat as an ally.

While Cathy's temper is not out of her control, she can be rather explosive after being pushed to a certain limit. When faced with her two most frequent adversaries, Buster Bulldog sand Clarinda Cat for example, Cathy tends to act irritable and churlish. She is also somewhat relentless when it comes to getting back at them for their harassment. In some cases, instead of outright giving her enemies satisfaction by losing her temper, Cathy would resort to sly pranks and trickery to best her foes—this being a way to one-up them, while also getting in a few laughs at the same time. Because of her laid-back nature, however, Cathy is usually remorseful after letting her anger get the best of her, and does all that she can to remedy affected feelings, if any.

Cathy evidently struggles with insecurity to some extent. In "Dizzy for a Day", she panicked at the prospect of losing her hosting job at the Cathouse, believing "show business" is the only profession she's actually good at. Her popularity seems to act as a double-edged sword. While she typically enjoys the attention, Cathy also feels a sense of pressure from the public to always be at her very best. This is most notably seen when Cathy is tasked with hosting live entertainment in front of a large audience. In during which, she becomes short-fused, anxious, and intolerant towards any delays or disturbances.

In spite of being an anthropomorphic cat, Cathy has the tendencies to act with his animal nature, including the fact that, being a cat, she loves milk and meat. In the television series Cathy's Cat, Cathy, being a cat, is made fun of when she is shown to exercise on a ball of yarn. These particular facts seem to only exist in the Cathy's Cathouse and haven't been shown again, proving to have been used for brief gags only.