This was among several Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts I hadn't seen in years. But once I watched it again online either earlier this month or late last month, that was when the memories of it really came back. I hardly had any favorite golden era Warner Bros. cartoons growing up, but I think this would be among my favorites from the 1950s, my favorite Sylvester shorts, and among my favorite WB cartoons in general.
After being pursued by a bulldog, Sylvester is taken in temporarily by a little girl named Suzanne. For most of the remainder of the cartoon, Suzanne is seen caring for the cat well-meaningfully but also improperly with hilarious results, such as giving him a bath via placing him in a washer/dryer and leaving it running until it's time for the setting to automatically switch to fluff-dry. In the end, after all he went through with her, Sylvester then decides being a pet (or being paired with a naive owner) isn't so worth it after all and he's had enough of that. This serves as something to provide a lesson on how not to care for a pet the wrong way. In addition to Elmer Fudd, she and several, other little girls from these cartoons just may have been possible inspirations somewhat for Elmyra Duff from Tiny Toons.
Friz Freleng, who directed this, would also direct A Waggily Tale, three years later, which parallels some moments in this and Boyhood Daze. I like this and A Waggily Tale equally, and I consider the latter to be just as good. Another thing this has in common is the voice actress of Suzanne, Lucille Bliss, also voiced the little girl in Junior's dream from A Waggily Tale. I'd like to own a DVD with both of those featured, I was hoping there would be a fourth volume of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection DVD sets, but I know for sure now that unfortunately no follow-ups will be planned for release. Maybe there will be yet another, new DVD box set series called Looney Tunes Diamond Collection or something as far as what will be done among other LT and MM featurettes that have yet to be brought to DVD. Despite the difference in art style by some point in the '50s, it's still just as good as the animation, the colors are well-balanced, the characters are great, the music by Carl Stalling is great as always. Everything about this is enjoyable. Recommended.