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Since our most popular blog post and YouTube video to date is 12 Surprising Facts About Tuxedo Cats, we knew that we had to find out more interesting things about this beloved type of cat! Now, here are some famous tuxedo cats, in no particular order. Some are animated and some are real, but ALL of them are amazing in some way.
1. The Cat in The Hat
Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in The Hat book came out in 1957. Ever since then, the cartoon cat with a red bow tie and red-and-white striped top hat has been one of the most famous tuxedo cats in North America. The cat appears in six of Dr. Suess’s children’s books. Over 60 years later, children continue to enjoy the story of The Cat in the Hat.
2. Sylvester the Cat
The official version of Sylvester the Cat appeared in an animated short film called Life With Feathers in 1945. After that, the tuxedo cat appeared in other various Warner Brothers television specials. However, Sylvester is probably most well-known from the iconic series Looney Tunes. He appeared in 103 cartoons in the golden age of American animation, lagging only behind superstars Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, and Daffy Duck.
3. Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat is from the 1920’s silent film era. Although that was way before our lifetime, the anthropomorphic black and white cat is still one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history. During Felix’s popularity, he also mirrored American attitudes of the “Roaring Twenties.” For example, Flappers were featured in Felix Strikes It Rich in 1923.
4. Figaro
Figaro is a tuxedo cat from Disney’s 1940 film Pinocchio. In fact, he was supposedly Walt Disney’s favorite character in the film. Many fans don’t realize this, but it used to be common for Disney characters to be transferred from movies to cartoon shorts. In Figaro’s case, after Pinocchio, he appeared as Minnie Mouse’s cat in several cartoon shorts. He also starred as the pet cat of an unnamed woman in another Disney short.
5. Mr. Mistoffelees
Mr. Mistoffelees is a character from the 1939 poetry book Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, which was later adapted into the Broadway show Cats. In the musical. Mistoffelees is a young tuxedo cat with magical powers that he cannot yet fully control. In the original book, he was actually described as a black cat. However, he was made a tuxedo cat for the show because a pure black costume would not have stood out under stage lighting.
6. Simon
This one is for any history buffs out there. During World War II, a tuxedo cat named Simon went to war. Now you might be thinking, how can a cat possibly help during a war? It turns out that Simon helped his British Allies by protecting food supplies from mice and other pests. After that, he received a medal for his services.
7. Socks
Socks belonged to former President Bill Clinton’s family, making him a former First Cat of The United States. The tuxedo cat was adopted by the Clintons in 1991 after he jumped into the arms of Bill Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, as she was leaving her piano lesson in Arkansas. He was often taken to schools and hospitals. Socks even had mail addressed to him, which the White House staff would answer.
8. Tuxedo Stan
Believe it or not, a tuxedo cat named Tuxedo Stan ran for mayor of Halifax, Canada in 2012. Okay, technically he never officially ran since cats can’t officially register on the ballot. But Tuxedo Stan still campaigned for the title, and as a result, became a global star. The cat’s campaign advocated for a city-sponsored spay, neuter, and cat care program. His candidacy was even publically endorsed by celebrities such as Anderson Cooper and Ellen DeGeneres.
9. Roderick
As you probably know, Mount Everest is Earth’s highest mountain above sea level, located in the Himalayas. Mount Everest specifically is between Nepal and China. Reportedly, there is only one cat that has ever climbed Mount Everest, and that is a tuxedo named Roderick. As fascinating as it would be to say that he made the trip alone, he actually did it when the help of his human.
10. Other Tuxedo Cats
Although these tuxedo cats aren’t necessarily famous themselves, they were owned by famous people, which is why we lumped them into one category. Famous people such as William Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Sir Isaac Newton all owned tuxedo cats. Since these artists and scientists clearly liked tuxedos, maybe there is something to say about how special these black and white cats really are!
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Resources
https://catsmusical.fandom.com/wiki/Mistoffelees
https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Figaro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socks_(cat)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_in_the_Hat_(film)
https://felixthecat.fandom.com/wiki/Felix_the_Cat
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tuxedo-stan-_n_1891950
https://www.litter-robot.com/blog/2020/10/27/7-tuxedo-cat-facts/
https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/Sylvester
https://www.thesprucepets.com/pictures-of-tuxedo-cats-4122064
https://time.com/5396568/simon-cat-war-medal/
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.
