Tiger (An American Tail)

Tiger is one of the two deuteragonists (alongside Tony Toponi) of the An American Tail franchise.
He was originally thought to be a villainous cat, Tiger would quickly become Fievel Mousekewitz's best friend and ally: not only aiding the young mouse in escaping the clutches of the evil Warren T. Rat's gang but also providing valuable help to Fievel throughout his later adventures in the Old West and beyond.
He was voiced by the late Dom DeLuise, who also voiced Jeremy the Crow from The Secret of NIMH, Fagin from Oliver & Company, Itchy Itchiford from All Dogs Go to Heaven and Stanley from A Troll in Central Park.
==History==
===An American Tail===
Tiger makes his appearance when he plays Poker with the other cats. He kept thinking they were playing Rummy, and blamed it on Warren T.'s violin playing. When Fievel gets discovered, and tries to get away, Tiger is ordered along with the other cats to capture him. Tiger threatened to slaughter him while he was struggling to do so.
Eventually, after Fievel is caught, and put in a cage, Tiger is sent to be his guard. But he found Fievel crying, and asked him why he was crying. Fievel told him he had to escape so he could search for his family. Tiger is saddened at this, since he lost his own family. Fievel encourages him, saying he’ll find them. Then Tiger and Fievel begin to bond and share their interests, even singing a musical number about it. Then the alarm goes off, and Tiger permits Fievel to get away. Tiger is fired by Warren afterwards, which Tiger finds a good thing as he tells his ex-boss off screen that he never liked him and his music stinks.
Next, he is seen (somewhat briefly) when the Mousekewitz family teams up with Tony Toponi, Bridget and Gussie Mausheimer when they join together to search for Fievel. Presumably, he teams up with them as well (albeit, off-screen). He serves as transportation for the other searchers. When Fievel gets found, Tiger claims he's never been more happy in his life as Gussie hugs him on his big toe.
At last, Tiger is seen in the movie being carried by four of Henri's pigeons when they fly to see the Statue of Liberty.
===An American Tail: Fievel Goes West===
Tiger plays a major role in this movie, and he has a girlfriend.
Tiger is first seen near the start of An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. His girlfriend, Miss Kitty (who is also one of the only friendly cats), dumps him, stating she wants a cat﻿ "who's more like a dog". His girlfriend leaves at once, which causes Tiger to sob (despite his promise to be tough in Miss Kitty's absence).
Soon afterwards, the Cactus Cat Gang ambushes the mouse homes. Tiger goes to try and assist. Sadly, his attempt is hindered by his phobia of spiders, which is activated when he sees Chula. He falls from his perch and lands in a trash can, passed out.
The next morning, Tiger rushes to see if the Mousekewitz family is okay. Unfortunately, Tiger finds their home deserted. A note left by Fievel tells Tiger where the Mousekewitzs are: the train station, where they’ll take a train bound for Green River in Utah.
Tiger goes to the station to catch up with Fievel at once; unfortunately (for him), he’s chased by dogs every step of the way (including a run-in with a dog-fish).
Later, Tiger is hoisted out of the river by a net and onto a fisherman's boat (he would have been caught with a bunch of cat-fish). He tries to pretend to be a cat-fish, but he gets thrown out of the boat. He lands safely on a stagecoach, where he remarks his mother "always wanted him to be on the stage". He then tries to ask a cowboy on the stagecoach if he's going to Green River, but he realizes (too late) the cowboy was a dog. He jumps off and gets tangled in a net hanging off of the stagecoach, where he’s yanked along the road like a rag doll.
His journey goes on like this until he crashes in a pile of bones at the border between the Badlands and Worselands. Realizing he was left behind, he states he’s "lost, all alone... in a million-acre cat box".
Next, Tiger is seen wandering through the desert, singing "Oh, My Darling" when he runs into what appears to be Miss Kitty; however, it turns out to be a mirage, as "Miss Kitty" was really an owl. Suddenly, Tiger hears what sounds like Fievel calling him. However, he figures Fievel (who was really there) is a different mirage and passes by him (and the opposite is true for Fievel as well).
Tiger is still in the desert still when he gets ambushed and captured by the Mousehican tribe, who use buffalo bones as a cage and knock Tiger out.
Later that night, Tiger finds himself hanging over a fire in the Mousehican village and being looked at by the Mousehicans as food. Soon, the Mousehican chief appears and it looks like Tiger will be devoured until the chief literally looks at things from a different perspective as he lines the hanging Tiger up with a large rock formation that, oddly enough, looks just like Tiger. Taking it as a sign Tiger is "a god of eternal peace and cosmic love" (which is said later in the movie actually), the Mousehicans celebrate with a massive feast. During this time, Tiger breaks the fourth wall by turning to the camera and saying "How did they know I was a vegetarian?" and "It's funny how your appetite perks up when you find out you're gonna have dinner instead of be dinner...". Tiger hangs back while the Mousehicans slaughter a hawk and (unknowingly) save Fievel's life. Fievel lands in part of Tiger's feast and he’s nearly eaten until Fievel tells Tiger to say "ahh". Sharing a tender reunion, Fievel tells Tiger to come with him to Green River; however, due to the fact that the Mousehicans become very offended if someone devours and runs, Tiger says he'll join Fievel as soon as he can (giving his own variation of the "Cross my heart and hope to die" promise). Then Fievel asks how to get to Green River (he doesn't know) and Tiger tells him to grab a passing "sagecoach" (a tumbleweed). Saying goodbye, Tiger makes note of his pun, but no one finds it funny.
Later, Tiger is seen in pictures in Miss Kitty's dressing room, where she regrets departing New York for the west.
Tiger isn't seen again until near the climax where he is seen relaxing at the Mousehican village still, where Fievel is trying to recruit him to help him save Green River from Cat R. Waul and his gang. Though Tiger is not into the idea at first, he’s convinced when he smells the exact same perfume that his love was wearing. He decides to join up with Fievel (though he’s a bit concerned when he learns he has to be a dog).
Next, he is seen training under the watchful eye of Wylie Burp. Tiger learns the ways of a dog and he’s christened "Fido" by Wylie at once. With his new dog identity and slingshot in hand, Tiger goes with Fievel and Wylie to encounter the Cactus Cat Gang. Miss Kitty becomes smitten with Tiger again (being completely unmindful that Tiger has learned how to be a dog). Just when Fievel has Cat R. Waul cornered, Chula threatens to kill Miss Kitty if Fievel fires. This causes Tiger to lose it, as he sends the entire Cactus Cat Gang including Chula flying and overcomes his arachnophobia. Then Fievel shot up Cat R. Waul, Chula, and other members of the cactus cat gang up in the sky. Then Cat R. Waul, Chula, and other members of the cactus cat gang crash landed in a mailbag and the passing train took the mailbag where Cat R. Waul, Chula and other members of the cactus cat gang got trapped in so everybody in Green River include Tiger and Miss Kitty are saved.
At last, Tiger is seen enjoying a romantic moment with Miss Kitty as Wylie walks off into the sunset.
===An American Tail: The Treasure Of Manhattan Island===
===An American Tail: The Mystery Of The Night Monster===
==Personality==
Despite his formidable size, Tiger is a very much a gentle giant, albeit cowardly, accident-prone and goofy, but nevertheless a kind-hearted, good-natured, harmless feline who dislikes violence and he is actually very affectionate towards all living beings, even mice - he does not share the almost universal hatred of mice that many felines in the series did and indeed was willing to fight in defence of the downtrodden (though he was not much of a fighter, though he had his moments).
Tiger was a member of Warren T Rat's gang one time but he was clearly unhappy with his position, when he first met Fievel he attempted to act like a tough and mean cat but he was unable to hold the act together long and he befriended Fievel at the end: the two of them have remained close ever since Tiger showed how charming he actually is, and he stopped being a member of Warren ever since he became best friends with.
Fievel and Tiger's friendship is an innocent one and is sadly very rare, which can cause mild issues as most mice are not used to having an affectionate feline in their midst: even Fievel's father noted when Fievel grew older he might have to reconsider having a cat as a friend - however given Tiger's nonthreatening nature these words of warning may not be true and he’s in many ways a pioneer for mouse/cat co-existence.
==Gallery==
Fievel-goes-west-disneyscreencaps.com-7208.jpg|Tiger chuckling and grinning nervously at the camera, after he was being disarmed by one of Cat R. Waul's gang.
Fievel-goes-west-disneyscreencaps.com-7250.jpg|Tiger smirking at Fievel's idea of using the lazy eye.
Fievel-goes-west-disneyscreencaps.com-7372.jpg|Tiger growls with rage at Chula after he threatens Fievel to have Miss Kitty drop from the balcony of the saloon and also overcoming his fear of arachnophobia.
Fievel-goes-west-disneyscreencaps.com-7380.jpg|Tiger barking thunderously at Chula.
Fievel-goes-west-disneyscreencaps.com-7488.jpg|Tiger, Miss Kitty and Wylie Burp watch Cat R. Waul, Chula and his gang being thrown into an US mail bag by Fievel.
==Trivia==
*Strangely, despite claiming that he's a vegetarian, Tiger is overweight.
*It is unknown why Tiger ever joined Warren T Rat's gang, considering that Tiger doesn't eat mice nor did he ever admired his boss.
*After getting disarmed by one of the Cat R. Waul's' gang, Tiger breaks the fourth wall (along with Wylie Burp), by chuckling and smiling nervously at the audience.
*He was designed to resemble his voice actor, Dom DeLuise.
==Navigation==
Category:Animals
Category:Anthropomorphic
Category:Male
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Cartoon Heroes
Category:Comedy Heroes
Category:Sidekicks
Category:Cowards
Category:Defectors
Category:False Antagonist
Category:Nurturers
Category:Warriors
Category:Wayward Heroes
Category:Giants
Category:In Love
Category:Optimists
Category:Charismatic
Category:Hope Bringers
Category:Martial Artists
Category:Paranoid
Category:Voice of Reason
Category:Comic Relief
Category:Incompetent
Category:Dimwits
Category:Misguided
Category:Tragic
Category:Pacifists
Category:Western Heroes
Category:Brutes
Category:Protectors
Category:Chaotic Good
Category:Wrathful
Category:Pawn of the Villain
Category:Fighters
Category:Officials
Category:Servant of a Villain
Category:Rescuers
Category:Localized Protection
Category:Sympathetic
Category:Tricksters
Category:Scapegoat
Category:Sophisticated
Category:Insecure
Category:Animal Kindness
Category:Passionate Learners
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Honest
Category:Victims
Category:Arrogant