Cattanooga Cats (1969–1971)
7/10
Groovy, Outta This World, Like Gone, Man!
20 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Cattanooga Cats was apparently supposed to be a follow-up to the Banana Splits, tho this time so they don't have to pay actors in the costumes. Haha.

I was 3 when this thing came on, almost 4, I remember it and to what extent a 4-yr-old can like something, I did.

I think the show is known better for It's the Wolf, with Allan Melvin and Paul Lynde, than for the Cattanooga Cats, which is understandable.

Yet for some odd reason, the Cats' songs seem to hold up better than the Splits' songs did. Really don't know why.

Cats is very dated, definitely, mainly for their outfits and attempts to sound groovy and hip, but mainstream middle-of-the-road.

They were colorful, as was Top Cat and his gang, but Top Cat wasn't about music (thank goodness).

There is one episode with an Indian who ends up mimicking the so-called 'rock-and-roll' sound of the Cats.

They also have an interesting character called Chessy or Chessie, maybe even Jessie, the autograph hound, and she too is a cat. She pursues the Cats like an obsessed fan.

I've seen this depiction in an Archie comic book as well. It's strange to see it played out as acceptable, for young girls to be so obsessed like this, bordering on what we know today as stalking.

As I had already done, someone observed that Kitty Jo's outfit was the same as Daphne's in Scooby Doo. It was simply the fashion at the time, nothing more. And both shows came out at the same time.

Cattanooga Cats seems to have a hold-on to their music among quirky fans tho. Surprised in doing some reading about them that just the songs were used as bumpers on a UK program, probably a kids show (I hope!) Still, I was a near-4-yr-old fan, so I've always liked them. I recorded a few eps a couple of years ago off Cartoon Network's Boomerang segment and just looked over them last night. Cuh-razy.
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