Commentary
Why can't Hollywood give cats a fair shake?

By Christy Lemire
Associated Press

The power-mad Mr. Tinkles rallies his troops to seize control of the world from the canine population in "Cats and Dogs." Associated Press

Sure, he's soft, white and fluffy. He even purrs and meows.

But Mr. Tinkles, the villain in the new movie "Cats & Dogs," is pure evil, perhaps one of the most diabolical characters ever to dominate the silver screen. Why? Because he's a cat.

Hollywood has its claws out for the kitties, consistently portraying them as scheming, devious and manipulative — and the cats who can talk are even worse.

Think of Snowbell in "Stuart Little," Catwoman in "Batman Returns," the cartoon cats Sylvester and Tom. Think of the frisky feline in the 1972 animated feature "Fritz the Cat," who smoked pot and sparked riots.

Dogs, meanwhile, are sweet and cuddly, loyal and trusty and true. They always save the day. They never do anything bad.

Think of "Lassie" and "Benji," "Lady and the Tramp" and "Old Yeller," all 101 Dalmatians (and the extra pup added for the sequel). Think of "My Dog Skip" — and try not to get choked up in the process.

"Cats & Dogs," which opened nationwide Wednesday, is a prime example of the good-dog, bad-cat phenomenon.

Mr. Tinkles (voiced by Sean Hayes of "Will & Grace"), a power-hungry Persian, leads his feline minions in a fight for world domination against a group of secret agent dogs, led by a beagle puppy named Lou (voiced by Tobey Maguire), who only wants to protect the humans.

The film's director, Larry Guterman, said portrayals of dogs and cats in film merely reflect the stereotypes we project onto them.

Mr. Tinkles "doesn't represent all cats. He's a rogue feline," Guterman said. "There's a back story — he was kicked out of the cat council, so he's sort of embittered."

One of the most memorable examples of a cat being depicted as a villain is 1963's "From Russia With Love," in which a white cat sits in the lap of the evil Blofeld, said Boo Allen, a Dallas film historian — and an admitted dog person.

Mike Myers spoofed that relationship in both "Austin Powers" movies in the late '90s, with Dr. Evil incessantly petting a hairless feline as he concocted devious schemes.

"That would ruin his image if a Westie were sitting in his lap," Allen said.

Cats are always the bad guys because they're not cuddly, Allen said. "Dogs are your friends. You can pick them up and play with them and love them and all that. Cats are aloof, and it's easy to make something aloof seem evil," he said. "Cruella De Vil — she was probably a cat person."

There are rare exceptions: The rabid, terrorizing St. Bernard of 1983's "Cujo," and Mr. Beefy, the talking bulldog in last year's "Little Nicky" who cursed, tossed back shots at strip clubs and accosted poodles on the sidewalk.

Joan Miller of the Cat Fanciers' Association's board of directors said art has portrayed cats as villains for centuries. She cited 15th century Italian paintings that show a cat sitting at Judas' feet at Jesus' Last Supper.

"It's hard to understand cats. They just remain elusive, so people tend to maybe attribute characteristics to these animals that they don't completely understand," said Miller, who has bred champion Abyssinians.

"But I think, in a way, it's an admiration. People ... make jokes about cats and how they don't seem to try to get appreciation. They just go about their own way," she said. "Other people would like to have that ability themselves, to completely be in control of themselves."

Nancy Matlock of the American Kennel Club headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., says dogs' positive image has to do with the very close working attachment man and dog have developed over the years. Cats, she said, are "not as interested in being in anybody's service. Dogs, I think, really enjoy that role. They like working with someone, they like having that companion relationship."

Still, cats too often get a bad rap in movies, said Latanya Wilkinson, owner of Spoil-a-Pet, a New York-based pet-sitting service.

"People who don't have cats don't like cats," said Wilkinson, who cares for about 20 dogs and 40 cats. "People think cats are so unpredictable ... . Some cats are like that — then again, some dogs are like that, too."