I’m sure you’ve asked yourself, “How many cats were in the James Bond movies?” The answer, according to the video below, appears to be “not that many”—in fact, one. The YouTube notes, below, implies that there are more, though I don’t remember any more.
As a follow up to the No More Heroes series, I am cataloging many key moments and elements of the James Bond film franchise, starting with all the close up scenes of Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s cat, the pet of James Bond’s nemesis from Spectre. I have not added any visual effects on any scene, and they remain in chronological order, taken from the Eon Productions films: From Russia with Love (1963); Thunderball (1965); You Only Live Twice (1967); On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969); Diamonds Are Forever (1971); For Your Eyes Only (1981); and Spectre (2015).
Is this a Persian cat? It looks purebred, but it doesn’t have that flattened face.
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From Bored Panda we have the story of the Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary taking in a mixed-sex pair of rusty-spotted cats (Prionailurus rubiginosus), a small felid native to India and Sri Lanka. It’s perhaps the world’s smallest wild cat, weighing between 0.9-1.6 kg (2-3.5 pounds)—less than half the weight of a house cat. Little is known about it but it’s listed as “near threatened” because of habitat loss.
It’s sad that many of them are doomed to spend their lives in captivity. Well, as you’ll see below, at least they’re protected and, of course, very cute. Click on screenshot to see the story.
There are only around 40 of these cats in captivity, and now there are two more (a pair of kittens were born). From the page, written two months ago:
The sanctuary took in a pair of grown rusty-spotted cats who are parents of two adorable cubs. “The Rusty-spotted cats were offered to us as we had a spare enclosure to be housed here for part of an external breeding programme. We don’t usually breed animals but this was a special opportunity,” the sanctuary’s spokesperson, Sophie, told Bored Panda. According to the new carers, these little babies are only 8 weeks old and are starting to eagerly explore their new surroundings with their mom following them around.
A few photos from the Wildlife Park (all images courtesy of: Park and Sanctuary in Cornwall).
Kittens born!
Cute kittens:
Look at the size of those eyes!
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Finally, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, opened in 1991, has a digital exhibition: “9 Lives: Cats of Walter Anderson.” I hadn’t heard about the Museum, but Wikipedia tells us who the inspiration was:
WAMA is dedicated to the work of Walter Inglis Anderson (1903–1965), whose depictions of coastal plants, animals, landscapes, and people have placed him among the most singular artists of the 20th century; and to his brothers, Peter Anderson (1901–1984), potter and founder of Shearwater Pottery; and James McConnell Anderson (1907–1998), painter and ceramist. The mission of the museum is to “empower lifelong curiosity and connection to the natural world through the art of Walter Anderson and kindred artists.”
Anderson apparently loved to draw and sculpt felids, and the exhibit shows some of his cat-related art through his career. Here are a few examples from each period of his life:
A carved lion done when Anderson was in art school:
From his early professional years:
Ceramics:
Anderson apparently spent three years in mental hospitals. Here’s one of his drawings from that time, which also features a DUCK:
After leaving the hospital, Anderson joined his family in Gautier, Mississippi; this drawing is from that period:
He also did large linoleum block prints:
Crayon drawings:
He also did murals:
Each artwork is from a separate section on the website. This is from the last, “Later years” (he died in 1965).
h/t: Su, Reese
This website, which includes the same James Bond video, claims that the Blofeld cat is indeed a Persian: https://persiancatcorner.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-james-bond-cat/
The tiny wildcats are extremely cute, and in the last photo they look like they are practising to be ceiling cats when they grow up.
Creepy criminals cuddling cats seems to be a staple in this sort of fiction, and also horror. I wonder why?
It wasn’t a black cat though.
I have been to the Walter Anderson Museum numerous times and own several of Walter’s woodblock prints.
He is one of America’s great nature artists and little known.
If you ever have a chance to go to Ocean Springs, MS, it’s worth the trip.
I agree. He’s a big damn deal down there. My wife, who grew up nearby, also has several of the prints. What little autumn Mississippi has is the time to go there.
An article about James Bond cats and no mention of Pussy Galore? Shurely shome mishtake.
One such as yourself can certainly make Mr Bond as portrayed by the
anti – feminist, Mr Connery, ‘ sound ’ as if to be coming off with, well,
… … to be coming off with a funny, funny repartee ‘nd all. Cuz, ya’
know Mr Stubbs, you can. You can do that.
I follow up .that. with what I and Us Other Feminists state is so old. Is so exhaustingly o l d. We women and girls with not even random,
mediocre men and boys calling us DEhuman, calling us animals.
Calling us human beings who are the species’ female ones as cats, say.
But as by my LESS – than – mediocre physician – and sperm source –
husband .always. .always. naming me not ever Blue, … … but instead
only ever, if he named me at all, then my name was Pussy, Cunt, Stupid
– Ass Heifer, Whore and, O yeah, that ever currently popular one, … …
Fucking Bitch.
His most favored ? for me ? IF he bothered himself
to actually address me ? At all ? Pussy.
Blue
https://bluemaas.blogspot.com
I think any video about “James Bond cats” should include important Bond parodies and, in particular, the Austin Powers series’ Mr. Bigglesworth.
There’s a lot of variety in Anderson’s cats. Enough for a lifetime.
There is a theory among fans that Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s cat is the real mastermind of SPECTRE (the Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion) and Blofeld is merely the front of this felonious feline.
However, Blofeld never had a cat in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, which precede the films. The movies probably gave him one because it’s a tradition to give mastermind villains a cat. This began with Cardinal Richelieu, a cat-lover in real life, who was often portrayed with cats in illustrations and adaptations of The Three Musketeers. For example, in the 1948 film Vincent Price’s Cardinal is seen stroking a kitty.
As for why movie Blofeld has a Persian, the filmmakers probably thought it was the sort of exotic breed possessed by a wealthy supervillain (notice that Blofeld is introduced on a yacht).
I can’t tell you how happy I’d be if the next Bond film was about MI6 discovering that a cat was really the true head of SPECTRE and the entire run time was them trying to figure out how to outsmart him, being stonewalled by his brilliance at every turn…
Only for the climax to involve the cat chasing an exploding toy mouse made by Q.
Well, I could think of Blofeld’s cat in Never Say Never Again, but it may not count as the “franchise”.
[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Say_Never_Again ]
I have a memory of ctas running towards dropped fish, so perhaps in Dr No. If not, I was reminded that Quarrel’s helper was Puss-Feller [ https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Puss-Feller_(Lester_Pendergast) ], and of course then Pussy Galore must be mentioned.
Here is a reference though:
“Pussy – A cat in the 1985 film A View to a Kill. Pussy was Stacey’s cat. Pussy is very friendly and hungry cat. She first seen when Bond go to Stacey’s house. Next when Stacey feed her.”
[ https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_animals ]
Another Bond cat in Never Say Never Again:
https://youtu.be/yPPmfVRLacY?t=131