Merry Christmas Dear Kitty

Nothing exemplifies the benevolent spirit of the holiday season better than beating a cat senseless, decorating it with colourful lights, then plugging its limp tail into a electrical socket to illumine them. All this, while wine-swilling mice join together in a quiet chorus of Winston Sharples’ holiday classic “Christmas is Here.” Makes you feel warmer than rum and egg nog, doesn’t it?



Poor Katnip. All he wants is a turkey dinner and some presents from Santa but he gets wincing violence from trespassing mice.

The credits were ripped off “Mice Meeting You” (1950) when it was released for television decades ago, so the artists may be known only to those who have a compulsion to closely examine the 1950s product of Famous Studios.

Since Herman and Katnip seem to have been influenced by Tom and Jerry, it should be no surprise this gag was likely influenced by one in a Tom and Jerry cartoon.



This was animated by Ken Muse in the Oscar-winner “Quiet Please” (1945).