Feed the Kitty (1952)

. . . somewhat problematic. I guess it may be analogous to the American Black Folks who owned slaves themselves in the 1800s (but they, at least, had to be "Free Men" BEFORE purchasing their racial equals). Blacks owning Blacks made Slavery "Fair and Balanced," according to the Southern Church Preachers back then. But Goofy owning Pluto (at least when Mickey Mouse was in jail)?! Werern't Goofy and Pluto BOTH dogs?! That one always threw me for a loop, and similar arrangements still do. The bulldog Marc Anthony adopts a kitten on the sly in FEED THE KITTY. Eventually Marc's human mistress tells her dog that he can keep this tiny cat as his pet, as long as he cleans up her litter box for the next 26 years. Unfortunately, that's about TWO CENTURIES in Dog Years! This means that Marc's newly assigned responsibilities won't work out, mathematically. Apparently, it will be up to Marc to find himself a mate, and to train their puppies to care for cats. This unrealistic expectation of multi-generational canine cat management is why it really helps if there is a Man of the House in an American Home, who can use his innate STEM skills to figure out the logistics of complicated matters, such as pets owning pets. Or to simply put his foot down, which probably would be the best option here.

I thought this cartoon was very sweet, not the best of all time, like many people said, but certainly very well worth watching and a good thing to see to cheer someone up. It reminded me of "Pluto and the Armadillo", because of some of the plot turnings and the roles of Marc Anthony (who is at first a very gruff bulldog then a sympathetic toddler-like dog) and Pussyfoot (who is a kitten the size of a mouse who is incredibly cute, sweet and unaware of danger). Another reviewer on here pointed out that something in this Looney Tunes cartoon was like something that happened in Monsters Inc, which I agree with. I enjoyed this cartoon for the sweetness of it, the plot-theme, the ending and the evolving character of Marc Anthony. I thought some of the animation was a bit underdone, some of the jokes were boring and slapsticky and the backgrounds looked too much like a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Apart from that, well worth a viewing. :-)In this short, the fierce bulldog Marc Anthony is barking savagely at a tiny kitten he finds sleeping in a tin can. The kitten, cleaning himself, is completely oblivious to Marc Anthony and even sleeps in his fur. Marc Anthony is so touched by this kitten that he decides to take him home, although his owner does not seem to want Marc Anthony to bring anything else into the house...I recommend this to people who love cute cartoons and to people who enjoy a different spin on Looney Tunes. Enjoy "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.

In a documentary that I saw about Chuck Jones, he talked briefly about "Feed the Kitty", and the idea that this big brute of a bulldog gets so easily charmed by an innocent little kitten. It's certainly a fascinating idea, and the risk of the kitten getting discovered - or worse - by the dog's owner naturally raises the stakes. I would imagine that there might be some controversy about the portrayal of the dog's owner (a housewife who spends her days baking cookies and vacuuming), but we can't blame the whole cartoon for that. The point is that this is the sort of work that you least expect, and it comes out perfect.And to think that the first scene shows some evil-looking eyes...that turn out to be the kitten!