Most Lovable Cat/Owner Relationships in Literature & Pop Culture

Dani and Thackery Binx

Thackery Binx of Hocus Pocus isn’t just any old cat, but an immortal talking cat cursed by the witches that killed his sister to live forever as a black beastie. As a result, he takes it on himself to protect the Black Flame Candle and ensure the witchy sisters never return…which is how he meets Dani and her brother, Max. Dani doesn’t get to keep Binx for long though, as he finally passes on when the witches have been dealt with. In one of the sweetest moments of the film, we see that he is finally happy and with the sister that he loved.

Jenny And Oliver

Disney’s animated re-imagining of the classic tale of Oliver Twist sees the little orphan boy become a tiny orange kitten, abandoned on the streets of New York and taken in by a gang of street dogs led by a human thief. The relationship between Oliver and Fagin isn’t the one we love, though; instead, it’s that of Oliver and Jenny, the rich little girl who takes him in. Although spoiled, she’s as lonely as he is, and will do anything to keep him safe. And of course, being Disney, this means that they all get a happy ending.

Holly Golightly and Cat

In Breakfast At Tiffany’s (Truman Capote), one of the most important and symbolic relationships in Holly Golightly’s life is that of her nameless orange cat. She technically doesn’t even consider him her cat, but a fellow stray that just happens to be living with her. That is, until the moment she lets him out of the car on the way to the airport and suddenly regrets it. In the film, this heartbreaking moment becomes a sweet Hollywood ending, as she goes back to find not only the cat she can finally admit is hers, but also to find that Paul loves her, as they share a romantic kiss. (In the book, however, the cat remains lost, making us wonder about Holly’s own eventual fate.)

Serena and Luna

Luna is only really considered a pet to the outside world, who sees Serena (or Usagi, in the original Japanese) as merely a bubbly blonde student with a sweet black cat. To those who know her secret identity as Sailor Moon, however, Luna is protector and adviser to her young royal charge, as well as her friends. She is also the one to give Sailor Moon many of the special items that she and her friends use, as well as to reveal the backstory of the series.

Data and Spot

Data isn’t the only Star Trek character to have a pet cat (who can forget Spock and Isis), but his relationship with Spot is truly adorable. This android originally got a pet cat in order to help him learn to be more human, and it certainly helped. Although we’ll admit, it was the emotion chip that he got hold of that did the majority of the heavy lifting! Still, Spot managed to become a major part of Data’s life — even before that emotion chip got him to where he could cry tears of joy when they were reunited after he thought his little orange cat was lost forever.

Lisa and Snowball

Technically, of course, The Simpsons family have had multiple cats, with more than one of them being called Snowball (to save on buying a new dish!). However, that doesn’t make Lisa Simpson’s relationship with the current Snowball (Snowball V) any less adorable — especially after she had adopted and lost two cats in quick succession, and was starting to believe that she would never have a kitty of her own to love.

Hermione Granger and Crookshanks

Many of the characters in Harry Potter have heartwarming relationships with their pets, and while there’s little doubt that the most amazing of all is that between Harry himself and his owl, Hedwig, fans have a serious soft spot for Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks. Of course, when she first brings the big orange cat to Hogwarts, it seems to cause some serious trouble, hunting down Ron’s rat, Scabbers. Well, until we learn that this amazing cat was actually aware (thanks to some possible Kneazle blood), that Scabbers was secretly a traitorous wizard hiding as an animagus.

Katniss, Primrose, and Buttercup

The Hunger Games seems determined to break its readers’ hearts throughout, and Buttercup the cat is definitely a big part of this. At the start, Buttercup is seen as a scrawny, ugly cat that belongs to Prim, and Katniss cannot stand the feline. But as the series continues, it becomes clear that Buttercup does matter to Katniss because of how much Prim matters to her. Katniss rescues the cat from their home when they leave for District 13, she makes the cat a part of her agreement to help the rebels, and more than all of that, Buttercup eventually helps Katniss heal.

Elizabeth and Tao

Finally, where would this list be without Tao? If there was ever a testament to the relationship between a cat and an owner, it is the wonderful story of The Incredible Journey. In the original book, and in both film adaptations, Tao is the Siamese cat who (along with two dogs) makes a journey of hundreds of miles in order to get home to the girl who loves her. It's the ultimate story of the bond between a pet and a person.

Which is your favorite cat/owner relationship in pop culture? Comment and let us know!

*Pictured above: Nubbins
Animal ID: #38375777
Age: 2-4 years, male
At PAWS adoption center since April 24, 2018
More about Nubbins: "I love belly rubs!!!! Please give me belly rubs!!!!"

This post is sponsored by PAWS in Old City, Philadelphia. This week, we're teaming up with local cat shelters to celebrate the release of Quirk's first graphic novel Manfried the Man, a hilarious and poignant look at cat ownership — except in Manfried, the pets are men and cats rule the world. Learn more about #QuirkCatWeek here.

#QuirkCatWeek runs from April 30 to May 4, 2018.