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Hey cat lovers, welcome back. Recently, we wrote a blog post titled “10 Fun Facts About Orange Tabby Cats.” In that post, one of our facts was that a lot of ginger cats are famous, so we briefly mentioned a few names without going into detail. Then in the comments of the video version of that post, a lot of people mentioned other famous gingers that weren’t named. Like, A LOT of you. Seriously, if I had a dollar for every time one of you said we left out Morris, I would book my next vacation tomorrow. So due to popular interest, we decided to make a post about 16 famous orange tabby cats (AKA ginger cats).
Famous Ginger Cats
1. Morris (from 9Lives Cat Food)
Morris is the advertising mascot for the 9Lives cat food brand. His character is portrayed as “the world’s most finicky cat,” which is why he only wants to eat 9Lives cat food. After being discovered by an animal talent scout at the Humane Society in Hinsdale, IL in 1968, Morris starred in his first commercial that same year. From 1969 to 1978, Morris starred in 50 commercials, creating one of the most successful advertising campaigns in television history. He even won a Patsy Award (the animal equivalent of an Oscar). Over the past 50 years, there have been 6 Morris the Cats, and all of them were rescued by 9Lives cat food.
Morris has also written books, run for president, and starred in the film Shamus with Burt Reynolds. However, his most important role is being an advocate for cat adoption. He’s visited countless schools and led huge campaigns for the cause. When it comes to orange tabby cats, Morris is king.
2. Bob (from A Street Cat Named Bob)
Bob played himself in A Street Cat Named Bob (2016), which is based on a true story about James Bowen, a homeless man in London who is a heroin addict. While in a recovery program in 2007, James found Bob as an injured cat. James took him to a local charity vet to get him treated and neutered, and then set him free. But when Bob kept returning, James decided to adopt him. This heartwarming story also reveals how Bob inspired James to stay on the road to recovery. Sadly, in real life, Bob passed away last year (2020). Regarding his death, James made a statement that said, “Bob saved my life. It’s as simple as that.” I challenge you to watch this film and not tear up just a little bit.
3. Marmalade (from Cole and Marmalade)
Marmalade is part of the internet-famous cat duo, Cole and Marmalade. Both cats are famous for their funny videos and advocacy for cats in need. They advocate for people to “adopt, spay, and neuter!” The cats are owned by Chris Poole who is also known as Cat Man Chris. One thing that’s amazing about Marmalade in particular is that he’s a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed in 2014, but after having the tumor removed and chemotherapy, he went into remission. Also, some fans don’t realize this, but Chris actually used to be a Media Producer for Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL. That’s the same rescue that’s featured in the Netflix docuseries Tiger King. What a small world!
4. Jonesy (from Alien)
Jonesy is from the space thriller Alien (1979). The gist of the movie is that a spaceship and its crewmates are being attacked by an alien creature called a Xenomorph. Jonesy’s official purpose as the ship’s cat is to control rodents. However, he also provides a source of comfort for the protagonist, Ellen Ripley, and the rest of the crew. Spoiler alert: Jonesy survives because he also makes it to the sequel Aliens (1986) after traveling in hypersleep for 57 years. Is hypersleep a thing in real life? Because I’m pretty sure our cats do that. Just saying.
5. Milo (from The Adventures of Milo and Otis)
Milo is one of the main characters from the film The Adventures of Milo and Otis. It’s one of those family-friendly, G-rated movies geared towards young kids. The main gist of this film is that Milo and Otis accidentally stray away from their farm. This happens when Milo the cat hides inside a box floating in the river that breaks loose, causing him to accidentally drift downstream. Talk about a nightmare for a cat! This movie was originally a Japanese film that came out in 1986. However, an English version of the film was later released in 1989.
6. Tonto (from Harry and Tonto)
Tonto is the star of the movie Harry and Tonto (1974), which is about an elderly widower and retired teacher named Harry who gets evicted from his apartment in New York City. Eventually, he decides to travel cross-country with his cat Tonto. The cat even won a PATSY Award for his performance. By the way, here’s a little fun fact we found for you. Apparently, Art Carney, the actor who played Harry, admitted to the director that he didn’t like cats. But Art ended up getting along with the cat, and eventually grew attached to him. When filming was over, Art even wanted to buy Tonto, but the trainer wouldn’t sell him. We’re glad Tonto at least turned a man into a cat lover.
7. Thomasina (from The Three Lives of Thomasina)
Thomasina is a ginger cat who is the star and narrator of the film The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963). When Mary finds Thomasina injured, she is taken to Mary’s veterinarian father who is unable to save her. He then has the cat euthanized, which breaks Mary’s heart and strains her relationship with her father. But as is typical for a Disney movie, an animal healer brings Thomasina back to life, and the story goes on from there. Don’t you just love the magic of Disney? As with most animals in films, several cats were used. However, if you pay close attention to the American version of the movie, the cats used were not a perfect match. While both were gingers, one had a “bullseye” mark on its side while another had “mackerel” stripes instead.
8. Heathcliff (from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats)
Heathcliff is a cartoon ginger cat from the animated children’s television series Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats (1984-1988). In the show, Heathcliff is known for terrorizing the neighborhood. Once a street cat, Heathcliff got adopted by a loving family. But once a street-cat, always a street-cat, which is where the mayhem comes in during each episode. Each episode featured two segments, one being about Heathcliff and his friends, and the other focusing on The Catillac Cats, which are a group of junkyard cats concerned with get-rich-quick schemes or searches for food. Originally, Heathcliff was inspired by a comic strip series created by George Gately.
9. Garfield (from Garfield)
Speaking of ginger cats based on a comic strip, there’s also the infamous Garfield. The comic strip was originally published as Jon in 1976, but then became Garfield in 1978. The story revolves around the chubby orange cat Garfield, his human owner Jon, and his dog Odie. Garfield is known for being lazy, loving food (especially lasagna and coffee), and hating Mondays. Garfield also starred in several television shows and movies, and soon became a household name. Believe it or not, Garfield actually held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most syndicated comic strip!
10. Crookshanks (from Harry Potter)
Crookshanks is Hermione Granger’s pet cat in the infamous Harry Potter series. Since these movies are about witchcraft and wizardry, Crookshanks isn’t just a normal cat. Although the movies don’t go into detail about this, Crookshanks is actually half Kneazle which is a magical beast that looks similar to a cat. Kneazles are known for being very intelligent and having an amazing ability to detect suspicious and untrustworthy people. Behind the scenes, as with many movies with animals, each one generally had two different animal actors to play one role. This is because some animals are better at certain things. Also, two actors allowed the animals to get regular breaks. This is why Crookshanks was played by two different ginger Persians — Crackerjack, a male, and Pumpkin, a female.
11. Puss in Boots (from Shrek 2)
Puss is an animated cat from the Shrek series. He made his first appearance in the 2004 film Shrek 2 (2004) where he became Shrek and Donkey’s partner and helper. Puss’ character was inspired by an Italian fairy-tale about a trickster cat. However, the modern version of his character was also inspired by Zorro and Indiana Jones. Puss also appeared in his own spin-off movie which is a prequel to the Shrek franchise, called Puss in Boots. Later, he also had a Netflix series called The Adventures of Puss in Boots, which is a prequel to the film Puss in Boots. Puss in Boots 2 is currently in the making and is supposed to come out next year (2022).
12. Goose (from Captain Marvel)
Okay, I must admit that my wife and I are huge Marvel fans, so Goose is probably our favorite ginger cat. Just putting that out there. Anyway, Goose is from the Captain Marvel comic book series which later turned into the movie that came out in 2019. Since this is a superhero movie we’re talking about, Goose isn’t just an ordinary cat. Spoiler alert! He’s actually a Flerken, which is an alien creature with massive tentacles that emerge from its mouth.
Some fans don’t know this, but in the comics, Goose was originally named Chewie. But the filmmakers decided to go with a Top Gun reference for his name in the movie because they thought it would better tie him to Captain Marvel’s past. Since the movie is set in the 90’s, Captain Marvel’s “past” was in the 80’s, when Top Gun was out. To all you Goose fans, be prepared to see more of him soon, because Captain Marvel 2 is also supposed to come out next year (2022).
13. Skidmark (from Fear the Walking Dead)
Skidmark is from the Fear the Walking Dead TV show (2015 to current), which originally was a prequel to The Walking Dead series, but eventually became concurrent to the original show. Fear the Walking Dead, like its sister show, is set in a post-apocalyptic world that’s overrun with zombies, which are called “walkers.” Skidmark belongs to the character Daniel Salazar, and besides providing companionship, he also helps Daniel by leading nearby walkers away. Let’s admit it. Between claws, fangs, and superior hunting skills, we all know cats would get by just fine during a zombie apocalypse.
14. Orion (from Men in Black)
Orion is from the Men in Black film (1997), which is a sci-fi comedy about two agents from a secret organization called the Men in Black. The organization’s purpose is to supervise extraterrestrial lifeforms who live on Earth and hide their existence from humans. Hey, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are in it, so you know it’ll make you laugh. So where does Orion fit into all this? Well, when an Alien comes to Earth to find a device called “The Galaxy,” let’s just say that Orion knows exactly where it is. Also, don’t panic when you see him involved in any intense scenes. According to humanehollywood.org, the real cat actor was replaced by a fake one for dangerous scenes like the shot of the Bug alien knocking over the gurney with Orion on it.
15. Spot (from Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Spot is from Star Trek: The Next Generation, the sci-fi television series that originally aired from 1987-1994. The series is set in the 24th century and follows the adventures of a Starfleet starship in its exploration of the Milky Way galaxy. One of the characters named Data has a ginger cat named Spot. Arguably one of Spot’s most famous scenes is when Data recites a poem called “Ode to Spot,” which expresses his love for the cat. Believe it or not, Spot was actually played by five different cats throughout the course of the show.
16. Cat (AKA Orangey) (from Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
Orangey is the ginger cat from 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which is a romantic comedy about a woman looking to marry into money. Orangey was referred to as “cat” during the movie. However, the cat actor’s real name was Orangey. So when you read about the film, you’ll often see him referred to as Orangey just to avoid any confusion since the cat technically has no real name in the movie. Believe it or not, Orangey has more on his filmography list than this film. He also appears in other movies and television series, including The Diary of Anne Frank, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and others. It looks like his acting paid off because Orangey won two PATSY awards.
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Resources
https://www.9lives.com/morris-story
https://alienanthology.fandom.com/wiki/Jonesy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Milo_and_Otis
https://coleandmarmalade.com/about/
https://cinemacats.com/harry-tonto-1974/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Lives_of_Thomasina
http://www.classicmoviehub.com/facts-and-trivia/film/the-three-lives-of-thomasina-1964/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathcliff_(1984_TV_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield
https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Crookshanks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puss_in_Boots_(Shrek)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puss_in_Boots
https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/captain-marvel-what-the-flerk-is-a-flerken
https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2467373/why-captain-marvel-changed-goose-the-cats-name-from-chewie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_in_Black_(1997_film)
https://humanehollywood.org/production/men-in-black/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_at_Tiffany%27s_(film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangey
Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
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