I Think I Swallowed Something

Tex Avery’s unnamed cat realises he’s swallowed a bowling ball in “The Counterfeit Cat” (released December 24, 1949). The credited animators are Grant Simmons, Mike Lah and Walt Clinton.



Well, Boxoffice magazine seemed to think the cat had a name. Its summary from February 2, 1950:

Good. Spike, the alley cat, has designs on the pet canary in the house. Only dogs are admitted so he rips some of the fur off a mongrel pup, disguises himself and enters. The dog guarding the house interferes every time Spike gets the canary, though he is given bones to bury. The pup losing the fur teaches both a lesson.

As any Avery fan knows, the watchdog drooling for bones is Spike.

For what it’s worth, Boxoffice gave “good” ratings to eight of the nine Avery cartoons released in 1949, including “Little Rural Riding Hood.” The only one getting “very good” (the highest rating) was “Bad Luck Blackie.”