Mittens The Feline

“*That's what they do, okay? They act like they love you! They act like they'll be there forever! And then one day they pack up all their stuff and move away, and take their love with them and leave their declawed cat behind to fend for herself!*”―Mittens to Bolt about humans while revealing her own past
**Mittens** is the deuteragonist of Disney's 2008 animated feature film *Bolt*. **She is a sassy and short-tempered street cat whom Bolt at first mistakenly believed was an agent of Dr. Calico. She is pessimistic and has a dry sense of humor. She lives the life of a thief who suffers from abandonment issues. She wasn't interested in friendship at first, but she is eventually opened up by Bolt's loyalty and willing to know about how to live a normal dog life. Judging by her color patterns, she appears to be a Tuxedo cat who speaks with a New York accent.**

## Background

Mittens has a very sad past, as she was originally a house cat. Unfortunately, her owners moved and abandoned the declawed cat. She managed to survive in New York City by having the local pigeons bring her food in exchange for "protection", meaning she would hurt them if they did not conform to her wishes.

### Personality

Mittens is a very intelligent and street-smart cat and a true friend. She has shown to be patient and tolerant, even when dragged around on a leash. However, she suffered great trauma when her owners left and she was left behind, because of the moment, she suffers from abandonment issues. She also became sassy, sarcastic, short-tempered, and pessimistic.

### Physical appearance

Mittens closely resembles a tuxedo cat, with very slender legs, neck and a long tail. While having two notches at her left ear. Before adopted by Penny, Mittens' fur is slightly long but once she's adopted it gets trimmed.

Mittens' appearance is the same as the other cats - big heads with slender bodies.

Mittens overall has black fur, but she has white on her nose and mouth, the tip of her tail, her front two legs have white paws while the back right legs has white extending beyond the paws while the back left leg has the white almost reaching the lower joint. She has white fur on her chest extending through her stomach and her back legs have white in her inner thighs. Mittens also has bright emerald green eyes.

## Role in the film

### Before meeting Bolt

Not much is known about Mittens' early life other than the fact but she used to be owned by an unknown family, who she had a strong bond with. One day however, the family decided to move away, but chose not to take Mittens with them. Mittens was declawed and left behind, which made her feel very upset and betrayed. This past trauma haunted Mittens for an extended amount of time and led to her hate and distrust for all humans. After being abandoned, Mittens chose the life of a stray alley cat and was able to lead an array of pigeons that collected scraps of food for her in exchange for her giving them protection, though she would usually unintentionally mistreat all of them, a reflection of how she herself was treated by her previous owners.

On one such day, Mittens was displeased with a pigeon named Louie, who had only brought her a tiny crumb. Mittens threatened to use her claws on Louie (despite the fact that she had none) and decided that all of next week's food would go to her, with none for Louie and the other pigeons. Tired of being pushed around, Louie confidently stated to Mittens that someone would stand up to her in response to her mistreatment of others.

### Meeting Bolt

After Louie left, Mittens sarcastically responded that she felt scared about someone standing up to her. Suddenly, she was tackled into a nearby trash can by a furious Bolt, who had been led to her by Joey, Vinnie, and Bobby on the account of her being an agent of Dr. Calico (at least in Bolt's mind). Startled and confused at why a dog she had never seen before had lashed out on her, Mittens tried to reason with Bolt but was interrupted by the laughter of the three aforementioned pigeons. Playing along with Bolt's actions, the three told Mittens to reveal where Penny was being kept in order to get Bolt off her back. Mittens, still confused about the whole situation, tried to persuade the pigeons to tell Bolt that he had gotten the wrong cat, but the pigeons instead retorted saying that Mittens was in fact the right cat. Having no answers, Mittens laughed nervously at Bolt, who took her to a nearby bridge and threatened to drop her onto the freeway below if she did not reveal Penny's whereabouts. Trying to escape the situation, Mittens pretended to play along with Bolt's delusions, acting as one of Dr. Calico's minions who knew where Penny was being kept. However, Bolt was still distrusting and was about to drop her when Mittens noticed the words "Hollywood" on Bolt's collar and she politely asked him to put her down and then she'd show him where Penny was located, with Bolt conceeding.

Later on, still playing the role of Dr. Calico's minion, Mittens got out a placemat with a map of the United States on it from a dumpster next to a nearby waffle restaurant. She found Hollywood on the map and pointed to that as the location for Bolt to head to in order to find Penny, which was on the other side of the country to them being in New York City. Thinking she had done what was asked of her, Mittens politely asked Bolt to let her go, but Bolt denied this, instead stating that he'd only release her once he'd found Penny, much to Mittens' dismay.

### Her experience with Bolt

Mittens tries to escape him but she distracts him by having a conversation about his "powers" but Bolt continuously answers that it's classified but she still asks about his powers which Bolt reveals about his "super bark", as Mittens manages to find a baseball bat, she still continues but Bolt still wants to return to Penny, as Mittens talks about his attraction for the actress named "Penny", Mittens tries to hit him with the baseball bat but she trips since it was heavy for her. Bolt panics when styrofoam surrounds him and quickly escapes the truck and drags Mittens with him. When landed, Mittens would learn how Bolt doesn't even know what blood is and how he is afraid of Styrofoam, since Bolt reveals that he gets "weaken" by Styrofoam, Mittens will grab it and pretends to threaten to hurt him if he doesn't free her, but Bolt would eventually overpower her. However, when Bolt is hungry, Mittens gets confused how does Bolt not know about that, but Bolt demands her to know how to find the antidote. When Mittens finds the "antidote" she asks Bolt to do the "dog faces" only to find out that he doesn't even know that either. Mittens yet gets disappointed knowing what kind of a dog fails to learn such basic stuff, so she teaches him how to do it and Bolt is successful with it. Bolt wants to resume looking for Penny, but they meet Rhino, Rhino is excited to know that he's talking to Bolt the Superdog while Mittens is also just as disappointed to see him believe that too. Rhino tags along despite Mittens being against it, he guides them to a train, Mittens gets very scared knowing that Bolt is putting them at risk. Mittens now doesn't trust Bolt anymore and she gets frustrated as well with Rhino as he kept attacking her for believing she is trying to kill Bolt, as they get launched off the train, they land and all of them get hurt.

### Fed up with Bolt's delusions

Mittens rushes up a tree and she rants at Bolt for not knowing how the real world works, as Rhino tries to find a ladder, Bolt demands Mittens to get down and continue to find Penny, but Mittens now refuses. She rants at him for constantly believing about his non-existing powers and also calls him out for how much he fails to learn the basics of life. Bolt denies any of that and he'll threaten her that he'll use his Super Bark at her. Mittens isn't intimidated by his weak threats and kept making sassy remarks at him when he just barks. Mittens eventually would agree and politely asks him to stop but he's very determined to prove Mittens wrong and animal control will catch them. Mittens will now be terrified knowing what's going to happen to them and blames Bolt for this, Bolt tries to escape with his powers but fails repeatedly until Rhino rescued him and Mittens was left behind. Mittens will be depressed knowing that she'll forever be in the pound until much later she hears Bolt's voice. She gets confused why is he back until he tells her that he's going to try to free her, Mittens is surprised that someone actually came back for her instead of being abandoned. However, she was still worried about Bolt believing in his power until she learns that he finally accepts that he never had any powers. Despite both of them never being ready for this heist, they both take their chances but once their exit was blocked, they stop in fear knowing their fates are sealed until one of the employee slips on the dog saliva and kicking Rhino to the other employee who was blocking the door. Now they take their exit and run away from the pound, and then they try to catch a ride until they spot a truck hauling a house which they take that ride.

### Opening up to Bolt

Since he actually came back for her, all that disappointment she had about Bolt have now turned into sympathy and she tries to help him accept that living a normal life is way better than living a life with powers. Not to mention, she'll explain how it feels to live in a normal house but when Rhino was playing with the vents, Mittens remembers what dogs do and she asks Bolt to put his head out of the window which Bolt enjoyed. As they continued their journey to Hollywood, Mittens always teaches Bolt the basics of living like a dog and socialize with other dogs. Mittens is seen being happy with Bolt and Rhino, but she seems happier to be with Bolt especially since his lightning mark was washed away by the rain. Mittens had a very happy night being with Bolt and Rhino and enjoys being in Vegas with them. Presumably they all slept together near the dumpsters until Mittens wakes up Bolt.

### Ranting & revealing her past to Bolt

When Mittens was happy to show Bolt a surprise she made for him, she made a place for them with their shelter being boxes, she happily demonstrates Bolt what they have and what they can do hoping for him to stay with her, but Bolt still wants to look for Penny. Mittens yet again gets frustrated that Bolt hasn't learned from that, and she forcefully takes Bolt to an advertising billboard that's about "Bolt". She rants at him and tries to teach him that she's real while everyone & everything in that movie, including Penny, are fake. Bolt denies this and assures that Penny's love for him is real, but Mittens denies it. She tells what they do, and how they pretend they love you but then Mittens ends up revealing her past to Bolt which would explain how Mittens never went about indoors while also admitting that she's declawed. During a brief pause, Mittens gets very upset, knowing that this has happened to her but also questions what did she do to go through so much pain. While feeling sorry for her, Bolt tries to reason with her by saying that Penny is different, but Mittens tells him to go if he cares about Penny so much, not before apologizing for ever taking pity on him. Bolt wishes her the best and leaves. Despite doing that, Mittens is clearly upset over what she did and also that she made Bolt leave, since Bolt left, she tries to keep Rhino with her such as trying to reason that Bolt had to leave them and instructed her to inform Rhino about it. But Rhino refuses to listen to any of "Bolt's instructions" so he goes, Mittens is confused why would he want to go which he answers that Bolt is their friend, and he learned from him that you should never leave a friend no matter what they demand. Motivated, Mittens goes along with Rhino to Hollywood and also find Bolt.

### Returning and helping Bolt

As they reach Hollywood. they first go to the television studio since Mittens know that's where they are filming "Bolt" and also knowing Bolt was heading towards there. When they reach it, they find an employ using one of costume of Dr. Calico's henchmen. Rhino wants to attack them, but Mittens wants him to not get spotted but Rhino is determined to fight so he goes, while Mittens is watching she quickly goes inside the studio, she watches Penny hugging a new Bolt and being happy being with him. But when the acting lesson ends, Mittens saw Penny getting upset that she actually wants her dog back and doesn't want another other dog that looks exactly like hers. Realizing that she was wrong about Penny, she quickly rushes to Bolt. She finds him in the street, very upset knowing that Penny didn't love him, when she came to him, Bolt tells her that she was right, but Mittens admits that she was wrong. She explains to him that when she saw Penny, she was actually heartbroken and that she doesn't want another dog even if they look like him, she actually wants *him* back. However, before she can finish, Bolt quickly believed that Penny was in danger so he and Mittens rush to rescue her while Rhino joins along. Rhino tried to sacrifice himself to help Bolt, but Mittens rescues him while Bolt gets inside. As they waited for Bolt, he was in the building for a while. Mittens and Rhino believed that Bolt has died until they hear his bark, as they get rescued, Mittens and Rhino hide underneath the stretcher that was carrying Penny and Bolt and they stay with them.

### A New Life

Three days later, Mittens gets adopted by Penny and her mother while also her hair being trimmed, Mittens is clearly happy that she's got a new home to live in and also having owners that actually care about her. As the end credits play, it's shown that Mittens is enjoying her new life also being happy with Penny and her mother.

### Super Rhino

Mittens is absent from Rhino's dream, but she wakes him up since she didn't like his singing, and then goes back to sleep.

## Trivia

* Mittens was thought by many fans to be the main protagonist of the film. However, it turns out to be Bolt.
* Mittens is of German descent.
* By size and behavior, she is in her late twenties or early thirties in human years.
* Sometimes any art released by Disney has her white fur colored inaccurately mainly lacking the white fur in her stomach and even the back legs only having the paws white.

## External links

* Mittens' bio on Disney.com

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