Claim: One of the original three Nicktoons was The Ren & Stimpy Show.

The Ren & Stimpy Show , often simply called Ren & Stimpy , is an American children 's / adult animated television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon . The series follows the adventures of title characters Ren , an emotionally unstable chihuahua , and Stimpy , a good-natured , dimwitted cat . It premiered on August 11 , 1991 as one of the original three Nicktoons , along with Rugrats and Doug . Throughout its run , the show was controversial for its off-color humor , sexual innuendo , dark humor , adult jokes , and violence , similar to Rocko 's Modern Life . This controversy contributed to the production staff 's altercations with Nickelodeon 's Standards and Practices department . The show ended on December 16 , 1995 , with a total of five seasons and 52 episodes .   Ren & Stimpy received mixed to very positive reviews during its original run then later widespread critical acclaim after its run , and has developed a cult following . The series is often cited as paving the way for animated shows like Beavis and Butt-Head and South Park . A spin-off for adult audiences , Ren & Stimpy `` Adult Party Cartoon '' , aired in 2003 on Spike , but was cancelled soon after its debut .