The domestic cat has been an ideal.

From the earliest feline images penned by artisans in ancient Egypt, through the humanized characters of the early 1900s, and the more recent comic strips, the domestic cat has been an ideal medium for caricature, satire, and humor.

Some cartoonists have used cats to convey political or social comments, whereas others have drawn attention to the obvious similarities between feline and human behavior.

During the 20th century, a host of imaginative cartoon cats has been unleashed on a delighted public, creating an extremely lucrative and internationally successful form of entertainment.

Cartoonists often give cats a valuable dual role in their work, as representations of both feline and human behavior.

The cat's fluid, sinuous movements translate effectively onto paper, allowing cartoonists to capture the essence of the feline, but the cat's facial features are ideal for conveying human expression, making it possible for cartoonists to portray human characteristics in a feline guise.