Have you ever been in the middle of watching your favorite TV show when suddenly a cat appeared and made everything 10,000 times better? Recently we looked at the top TV cartoon cats. Today we’re featuring the best TV cat cameos in every genre: sitcom, sci-fi, drama, and more!
Best TV Cat Cameos: Sitcom
Salem, Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Everyone’s favorite talking black cat makes his appearance from episode one of this quirky 90s sitcom. Salem is played by four cats throughout the series (and sometimes by puppeteers). One thing that doesn’t change: He’s a refreshing furry presence in a household of witches.
Smelly Cat & Phoebe’s Mom, Friends
The titular character of Phoebe’s most famous song is more of a long-running symbol than a regular cat throughout this beloved series. The best cat cameo in Friends is the striped tabby that wanders into Phoebe’s guitar case in Central Perk, prompting her to believe the feline is none other than her mom.
Lucky, ALF
It’s no secret that Alf, the furry alien creature that crashes into the Tanner family’s garage, likes to eat cats. While the thought is morbid, the sitcom uses this to a humorous advantage with the featured feline Lucky. The Maine Coon certainly was lucky, as he never is eaten!
Bandit/Garbage, The Office
The TV cat cameos on The Office revolve around crazy cat lady Angela (who is a real-life Litter-Robot fan!). In an attempt to win Angela back after a bad breakup, Dwight brings her a dirty tomcat named Garbage from his farm. She spurns him, but later renames the cat Bandit and keeps him at the office.
Larry, Modern Family
Larry, the white cat belonging to Cameron, Mitchell, and Lily, makes several appearances throughout the long-running Modern Family. The cat endures his fair share of antics when it comes to his loving family, from donning a mermaid costume to prompting a mistaken neighborhood funeral.
Best TV Cat Cameos: Adult Comedy
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
There’s no one best TV cat cameo in particular on IASIP—just all of them in general! From Dennis’s junkyard cat named Jack Bauer and Dee’s cat trapped in the wall, to the infamous “kitten mittens” commercial and a clowder of cats whose meowing tortures Charlie and Frank at night, felines make some hilarious appearances on this adult comedy.
Toonces the Driving Cat, Saturday Night Live
Toonces the Driving Cat became a popular recurring character on SNL. His first appearance was in a 1989 episode featuring Steve Martin, and since then he’s starred in skits with the likes of Dana Carvey, Quincy Jones, Candace Bergan, and Linda Hamilton.
Best TV Cat Cameos: Teen
Salem, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Alas, Salem does not talk in Netflix’s dark retelling of the teenage witch Sabrina. He does serve as her faithful familiar on many dark adventures. Salem is played by five cats. We love the white spot on his chest, a likeness to the Celtic fairy cat called the Cat Sìth.
Lord Tubbington, Glee
The chonky Lord Tubbington appeared in several episodes of high school-musical comedy Glee. As Brittany’s pet cat, he is often accused of doing things that would be impossible for a cat, such as smoking, going to jail, reading Brittany’s diary, and joining a gang. He seemed capable enough to us!
Best TV Cat Cameos: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Spot, Star Trek
Spot is Data’s female cat, at times played by an orange tabby and other times played by an Abyssinian. She lived with Data while he served aboard the USS Enterprise-D and -E. Data even wrote a poem about the cat, which he called “Ode to Spot.” Time to step it up, cat parents!
Ser Pounce, Game of Thrones
Prince Tommen Baratheon’s kitten Ser Pounce appeared in one episode of Game of Thrones, somewhat less than he did in George R.R. Martin’s books. Although this TV cat cameo was brief, it was a delight to GOT fans—especially since the kitten never appeared to meet his end (a rarity among the show).
Bast, American Gods
Embodying one of the old Egyptian gods Bastet, Bast is a supporting character in both the TV show American Gods and Neil Gaiman’s book of the same name. This small brown tabby occasionally turns into her beautiful human form, while still bearing sharp nails and cat-like eyes. Meow!
Best TV Cat Cameos: Drama
Miss Kitty, The Closer
The fluffy Miss Kitty humanizes LAPD deputy chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (played by Kyra Sedgwick) in a way that many things cannot. The cat shows up as a stray in the first season and remains a sweet fixture on the show for several seasons after. Even Sedgwick “loved the whole cat arc.”
Siamese cats, Perry Mason
Siamese cats factor prominently in several Perry Mason episodes. In some cases, the cat even helps defense lawyer Perry Mason solve the murder mystery at hand. In one particular episode, it’s the tracked paw prints of the Siamese cat named Monkey that ends up helping the pieces fall into place!
We’ve shared our favorite TV cat cameos in every genre. So, what are yours?
Cover photos via IMDb
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