Posted Saturday, June 4th, 2022 by Barry

Felix the Cat (1948) 1

National Hug Your Cat Day is as comforting and as mysterious as the furry feline we long to snuggle.

With no known origin for the day to cite, we’ll focus on the kitties to cuddle.

The mascot for the day is Felix the Cat.

Considered the first, real animated movie star, Felix was created by Otto Messmer. He proved more popular than the live stars of the silent era in which he was spawned.

Not long after his debut on the silver screen, Felix found himself part of the King Features stable syndicated in over 250 newspapers worldwide. Pat Sullivan was the first to bring Felix to papers, but Papa Messmer took over art duties in 1927.

Felix the Cat (1948) 1

When the Sunday strip was discontinued in 1943, Messmer began an 11-year run on the Dell comic book incarnation of his famous feline. He would write and draw the bi-monthly series.

Harvey Comics would later pick up the license.

During his heyday, Felix proved popular enough he was adopted by Fighter Squadron 2-B as their mascot. His likeness holding a bomb would be painted on each of the F-3 bi-planes.

Felix was even the first cartoon-related balloon featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 1933.

His image would be the first to be broadcast over television airwaves. The engineers at RCA Research Labs used a rotating doll of the cat as their test subject.

This would prove prophetic as the pussy cat would be featured in 264, five-minute animated episodes for Trans-Lux TV. The cartoons would run continuously for the next 20 years.

In 2002, TV Guide ranked Felix the Cat number 28 on its 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time list.

To celebrate the day, here are some interesting facts about our furry companions:

There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world with approximately 40 recognized breeds;

Over 30 percent of North American households own a cat;

A cat can travel at a top speed of approximately 31 miles per hour over a short distance;

Most cats give birth to a litter of one to nine kittens. The largest litter on record is 19;

Cat’s brains are biologically more similar to a human brain than it is to a dog’s;

Isaac Newton invented the cat flap;

Female cats are right pawed, while male cats are more often left pawed.

Finally, the one fact we all know and need to acknowledge, cats are the best. Period.

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