Fun Facts About Sylvester The Cat

April 19th is a pretty important kitty holiday: it’s Sylvester’s birthday! From 1945 to 1966, the animated tuxie appeared in over 100 shorts. Since then, he’s branched out into books, movies, and comic books. A Louisville, KY vet lists some key points about Sylvester’s life and career below.

What’s In A Name?

Sylvester’s official name is Sylvester James Pussycat, Sr. However, he’s also acquired several nicknames. Tweety Bird, his arch-enemy and co-star, often refers to him as ‘Putty Tat’, while the fast-footed, cheese loving mouse Speedy Gonzales calls him ‘Senor Gringo Pussygato’.

A Long, (Sort Of Distinguished) Career

Sylvester first pounced onto the silver screen in 1945, when he appeared in the short film Life With Feathers. There’s a bit of controversy here, though: a similar kitty appeared in 1941’s Notes To You.

Claim To Fame

Sylvester was one of the earliest animated feline stars. However, that’s not his only claim to fame. The lisping feline has died more times than any other Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies character. While real cats do not actually have nine lives, this animated one apparently has dozens!

Shenanigans

Sylvester certainly has lived his countless lives to the fullest. One thing he really deserves more recognition for is his role of visionaire. The cartoon kitty often explored topics that are still relevant today. For instance, in Nuts And Volts, he mail-ordered a mouse-catching robot. (Unfortunately, he had trouble with confusing assembly instructions, a dilemma we’re sure some of you can relate to.)

Frenemies

Sylvester has worked with many Looney Toons stars, but he’s most often paired up with Tweety Bird, an adorable yellow canary. The two first teamed up in 1947’s Tweetie Pie, and worked together for several decades. Sylvester spent much of that time trying to eat Tweety. Although often outsmarted by his feathered adversary, the persistent furball was also often thwarted by their owner, Granny; her Bulldog, Butch; or Sylvester’s other rival, a sly orange kitty named Sam. 

Endorsements

Upon hearing the words famous 9 Lives cat, most people probably think of the brand’s iconic ginger star, Morris. However, Sylvester was also the spokeskitty for the cat food brand. He appeared on products and in commercials for the cat food line from 1979 to 1983.

Is your feline friend constantly ordering robots, burping feathers, or chaining himself to radiators? Contact us, your Louisville, KY animal clinic, today!