Tom Cat

**Thomas "Tom" Cat** is a fictional character and one of the title characters (the second being Jerry Mouse) in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of *Tom and Jerry* theatrical cartoon short films. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Tom is a blue/grey anthropomorphic domestic short-haired cat who first appeared in the 1940 animated short *Puss Gets the Boot*. Tom was originally known as "Jasper" during his debut in that short; however, beginning with his next appearance in *The Midnight Snack* he is known as "Tom" or "Thomas".

## History

### *Tom and Jerry* cartoons

His full name, "Tom Cat", is based on "tomcat", a phrase which refers to male cats. He is very rarely heard speaking with the exception of a few cartoons (such as 1943's *The Lonesome Mouse*, *Tom and Jerry Tales*' *League of Cats*) and *Tom and Jerry: The Movie*. His only notable vocal sounds outside of this are his various screams whenever he is subject to pain or panic. He is continuously after Jerry Mouse, for whom he sets traps, many of which backfire and cause damage to him rather than Jerry.

Tom has changed remarkably over the years upon his evolution, especially after the first episodes. For example, in his debut, he was quadrupedal and had normal cat intelligence. However, over the years (since the episode *Dog Trouble*), he has become almost completely bipedal and has human intelligence and he is similar to his previous appearance, in 1945 short he had twisted whiskers and his appearance kept changing. In the 1940s and early 1950s, he had white fur between his eyes. In newer cartoons, the white fur is gone. As a slapstick cartoon character, Tom has a superhuman level of elasticity. Tom is usually defeated (or very rarely, killed, like in *Mouse Trouble*, where he explodes) in the end, although there are some stories where he outwits and defeats Jerry.

### *Anchors Aweigh* and *Dangerous When Wet*

Tom and Jerry appeared together in the 1945 Technicolor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical *Anchors Aweigh* where Tom briefly appears as a butler for King Jerry, the latter who has a dance sequence with Gene Kelly, and also in another musical with the same studio *Dangerous When Wet* (1953), where, in a dream sequence, main character Katie Higgins (Esther Williams) does an underwater ballet with Tom and Jerry, as well as animated depictions of the different people in her life.

## Voice actors

* **Clarence Nash**: Vocal effects in the Hanna-Barbera era (1940–1942, *Sufferin' Cats!*)
* **William Hanna**: Vocal effects in the Hanna-Barbera era (1943–1958) shorts: *The Lonesome Mouse*, *The Million Dollar Cat*, *Mouse Trouble*, *The Missing Mouse*, *Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers* (archival recording from classic shorts), *The Tom and Jerry Show* (2014) (archival recording from classic shorts)
* **Billy Bletcher**: Vocal effects in the Hanna Barbera era (*The Bodyguard*)
* **Stepin Fetchit**: 1948 short: *Mouse Cleaning*
* **Daws Butler**: 1956 short: *Mucho Mouse* and others
* **Allen Swift**: Vocal effects in the Gene Deitch era (1961–1962) shorts
* **Mel Blanc**: Vocal effects in the Chuck Jones era (1963–1967) shorts
* **John Stephenson**: *The Tom and Jerry Show* (1975)
* **Frank Welker**: *The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show*, *Tom & Jerry Kids*
* **Richard Kind**: *Tom and Jerry: The Movie*
* **Jeff Bennett**: *Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring*
* **Bill Kopp**: *Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars*, *Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry*
* **Spike Brandt**: 2005 short: *The Karate Guard*
* **Don Brown**: *Tom and Jerry Tales*
* **Billy West**: *Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes*, *Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz*
* **Maurice LaMarche**: *Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers*

## Love interests

Apart from chasing Jerry, Tom has multiple love interests with female cats. Their names all begin with "T", except in *Tom and Jerry Kids*. They are:

* Toots, a fluffy beige cat who appears in *Puss n' Toots* and *The Mouse Comes to Dinner*, the latter being her only speaking role. This version of Toots also appeared in some 1940's *Tom and Jerry* comics.
* Toots, a different cat by the same name who appears in *The Zoot Cat*. She has occasionally and erroneously been referred to as "Sheikie", but this is actually Tom's nickname, as seen on a gift card in the cartoon.
* An unnamed, non-speaking cat who appears very briefly in *The Bodyguard*. She was made as a mere object of slap-stick humor, as when Tom gave her a wolf-whistle, he gave himself away to Spike, who was supposed to protect Jerry every time he whistles.
* Tara, a non-speaking cat who appears in *Texas Tom*.
* Toodles Galore, a non-speaking recurring cat who sometimes adores Tom and sometimes treats him badly (particularly in *Love Me, Love My Mouse*). She appears in multiple shorts.
* An unnamed non-speaking brown cat who appeared in *Muscle Beach Tom*.
* An unnamed white cat who appeared in *Blue Cat Blues*. Similar to the cat seen in *Muscle Beach Tom*, except with a personality like Toodles.

## Owners

Over his years as a housecat, Tom has multiple owners, varying in different cartoons.

* Mammy Two Shoes (1940-1952, *Tom and Jerry Tales* (majority of episodes))
* Nancy (*Baby Puss*)
* King of France (*The Two Mouseketeers*, *Royal Cat Nap*)
* Ship's captain (*Cruise Cat*, *Puss 'n' Boats*)
* Johann Strauss (Johann Mouse*)*
* Ranch cook (*Posse Cat*)
* Joan and George (*Pet Peeve*, *Mouse for Sale*, *The Flying Sorceress*, *Busy Buddies*, *Tom's Photo Finish*, *The Vanishing Duck*, *Tot Watchers*)
* Clint Clobber (*Down and Outing*, *High Steaks*, *Sorry Safari*)
* Sea captain (*Dicky Moe*)
* Thin white lady (*Saturday Evening Puss* (1960s reanimated version), *Buddies Thicker Than Water*, *The Unshrinkable Jerry Mouse*, *Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry*)
* Astronaut (*O-Solar Meow*)
* Unnamed man (*The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show*, *The Mansion Cat*)
* Robyn Starling (*Tom and Jerry: The Movie*)
* Chip the wizard (*Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring*)
* Rick and Ginger (*The Tom and Jerry Show* (2014))

## Gallery

*Main article: Tom Cat/Gallery*
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