Claude Cat is a pampered, high-strung house cat whose life falls apart the moment anything changes. Fussy, easily frightened and sure he is in control, he is the perfect victim for Chuck Jones’s tricksters: the mice Hubie and Bertie, an overeager puppy and a bulldog named Marc Antony. Most of Claude’s cartoons are psychological: the cat is beaten less by force than by his own nerves.
| Species: | Cat |
|---|---|
| First appearance: | Mouse Wreckers (1949) |
| Created by: | Chuck Jones |
| Original voice: | Mel Blanc (1949 to 1962) |
| Frequent co-stars: | Hubie and Bertie, Marc Antony |
Similar yellow cats appeared in Jones’s cartoons from 1943, including The Aristo-Cat. The character known as Claude Cat began with Mouse Wreckers (1949), an Academy Award nominee in which Hubie and Bertie drive him to the brink. He appeared in eight more Jones shorts through Cat Feud (1958).
Claude is persnickety, anxious and vain. He believes he runs the household, which is exactly why he is easy to unsettle. Jones and his animators gave him jittery movement and wide, sleepless eyes, so the audience can watch his confidence drain away scene by scene.
Every piece in our Claude Cat collection is certified by the Chuck Jones family. Browse originals, limited editions and prints below, or contact our art consultants with any questions.
