Feed the Kitty

"Marc Anthony," the big, brutish-looking-but sensitive bulldog, has a new friend, a tiny little kitty who makes a "home" by sleeping on Anthony's back. The big dog takes a shine to the little one and then protects him as he gets, or seems to get, into domestic trouble.

The homemaker in the house makes it clear early on to the dog that she doesn't want him bringing anything into the house. The dog thinks he has to hide the cat, but the little animal gets loose and gets into various predicaments. While trying to hide the identify of the cat or save him being being in the mix-master and being made into a cookie, the dog is always pestering the woman and getting admonished. I read somewhere where this cat was in subsequent cartoons and named "Pussyfoot."

The beginnings of this animated short were both touching and very funny. Then, the one- joke story started to drag a bit until Marc Anthony thought the cat was killed a cried a river of tears, which actually was funny. (I've never a dog cry or sweat like this dog!) They even showed the poor dog's bloodshot eyes after his crying spell!

Another very funny touch was when the dog came back in the house and was given a cookie by the woman. He thought it was the poor little cat-made into-a cookie and placed it on his back where Pussyfoot laid before. This is one sensitive, caring dog! The end of this is more of the same - more touching and sweet than humor - but it was nice to see.

I had the unexpected treat of seeing this short animated masterpiece on the big screen several years ago while at one of Spike & Mike's Festivals of Animation in San Francisco. All of a sudden, in the middle of the repertoire of recently made amateur and obscure animated shorts, the 40's/50's era Warner Brothers'/Looney Tunes cartoon short intro flashed on the screen. I could immediately sense the surprised hushes and confused murmurs of most of the audience members because vintage "mainstream" shorts weren't the usual fare for these shows. However, the surprised and confused reactions gradually turned into joyful enthusiasm as I and the rest of the audience members finally recognized which particular vintage Looney Tunes short this was... 'Feed the Kitty.' Sure, a lot of us probably didn't remember it merely by the title as it showed on the screen, but as soon as I saw the beloved slobbery bulldog (Marc Anthony) I knew!!! (-: I was also overjoyed that I could see this on a big screen in all its original theatrical glory of the era in which it was created. This gem is utterly timeless! I know that most everyone in that audience that night at the animation fest, along with myself, were instantly transported back to the time when they first saw this cartoon and how much it touched them then. I myself am a huge lover of kitties ever since childhood so when I first saw this cartoon on T.V. as a young child, I know it must have made me laugh tremendously and melted my heart then. Seeing it at the fest was so wonderful because I believe that it was the first time I'd seen it since I was a child in the 70's and I'd nearly forgotten about it up until that point. But ever since seeing it again that night, it definitely re-captivated me. It's such a charming, adorable, and hilarious feature for all ages. That dog's facial expressions are priceless! I'll never forget this one. It's for all ages. Chuck Jones R.I.P... what a genius!

Chuck Jones has finally been given proper credit for his enormous contribution to animation, from Bugs Bunny to the Grinch, but not everyone is aware of this 6-minute gem which doesn't feature any of the famous WB characters. "Feed the Kitty" is a simple play on the dog/cat cartoon rivalry: a gruff bulldog named Marc Anthony unexpectedly falls in love with a little fluffy kitten. Simple enough concept, but the range of emotion expressed by this silly dog trying to protect his "pet" makes me laugh and cry upon each viewing. I'm given to superlative language when discussing Chuck Jones, but I honestly think it's the most wonderful 6 minutes of animation you're likely to see.

Feed the Kitty is everything I love about animation and more. The animation is full of vibrant colours and fluid backgrounds, while the music is typically energetic with some recognisable tunes and lively orchestration(as ever). The gags are very imaginative and I think very funny, the one with the mouse hole is priceless. Feed the Kitty is also very cute, especially in the characters of Marc Antony and Pussyfoot and there is even one truly heart-wrenching sequence where Marc Antony grieves for Pussyfoot, Marc Antony's way of expressing his grief is very affecting to anybody. The story is always engaging and crisply paced. Mel Blanc's vocals as ever are stellar, as I've said many times he was one of those voice artists who could do no wrong being a huge part of every short cartoon/show he participated in. Overall, a masterpiece from Chuck Jones and of animation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

An expressive bull-dog becomes attached to a furry black kitten, but chaos threatens to separate them. I glimpsed this on a tribute to the director, Chuck Jones. The dog is so real-acting and animated (sorry about the pun) that the ending will have you in tears. This is a classic that MUST be released on DVD, along with the other brilliant Warner Brothers cartoons of the 1940s and 1950s.