The Far Side captured many animals in his comic strips, with cats being a notable inclusion. Capturing behaviors, characteristics, qualities and characteristics of cats, The Far Side showed many comics that cat lovers could deeply identify with and have a good laugh. While cat lovers may love feline animals, that doesn’t mean they don’t recognize cats’ more boring qualities.
Additionally, cat lovers can attest that animal foot landing behaviors are just facts of nature, like having a desire for birds or not getting along with your doggy roommates. Gary Larson does an exceptional job of using these attributes of cats to make comics that can resonate the most with cat lovers.
10
“To think you almost left the bullets inside”
August 3, 1990
It’s no secret that dogs and cats don’t tend to get along. As experienced cat owners know, animosity between dogs and cats can be very real. In the same way, The Far Side recognizes the immense dislike that a cat and a dog can have for each other, but in the strangest way possible, of course. When a woman berates her husband Frank for the irresponsibility of buying automatic weapons for pets, not to mention the fact that he was stupidly planning to keep the bullets in the guns, the reader sees the cat and the dog shooting each other repeatedly. If Frank had left the bullets in the guns, it would have been a much darker comic strip that probably couldn’t have been shown in the Sunday paper.
9
“Cat Showers”
It is known, even by those who don’t like cats, that cats bathe alone. Cats are born with tools for bathing, as they actually have a barbed tongue that they use. Cat lovers are well aware of the habit that cats acquire of taking baths, something that Far Side comics is very aware. In The Far Side comics, there are cat showers, which are basically bathtubs with a big tongue where the shower would normally be, where a cat is being licked. Cat lovers have seen their beloved pets do this all the time, even to the point of irritation, making this comic incredibly relatable for cat owners and lovers. While it can be a little disconcerting to see a bathing cat licking repeatedly, at least it’s one less chore for the pet owner to do.
8
“Variety of Rodents and Small Flightless Birds”
April 20, 1984
A cat’s dream comes true when a truck full of rodents collides with a truck containing small flightless birds, right in front of the cat’s front yard. Cat lovers know very well that their cats love some assorted rodents and small flightless birds, making the comic something that cat lovers can relate to by understanding the comic from their cat’s perspective. One way for a human who doesn’t like cats to fully understand the joy a cat feels would be to imagine if a truck full of chocolate ended up with a truck of pizza right in front of their door. After all, domestic cats are related to big cats that have big, meaty appetites, so it’s fitting that their carnivorous appetite can sometimes get the better of them, as seen in The Far Side.
7
“Put the cat out”
A cat may be the pet owner’s favorite pet, placing another pet, such as a dog, in an inferior position with fewer advantages. For example, a minor advantage is having to sleep outdoors while the cat sleeps in the nice, comfortable bed with its owner. The Far Side is aware of the favoritism that owners can show their cats, but provides a photo of a dog who is trying his best to turn things around. When a woman is sleeping soundly, her dog tries to implant the idea of ​​putting the cat outside in the dreaming woman’s head. The cat sees this, awakened by the dog’s attempt to send subliminal messages. Needless to say, the cat probably isn’t too happy about the dog’s flattery, but the cat will certainly find a way to land on its feet, as cats tend to do.
6
“Look who’s excited to see you”
December 12, 1987
The Far Side shows a cat and its owner returning from a declaw (the cat, not the human owner), who realize they have company as they approach their home; a dog that is ready to fight. It’s clear that the owner is unaware of the situation that is about to unfold, as humans are typically not the brightest bulbs in the world. The Far Side. Cat lovers may find humor in the part of the comic that suggests the dog is attacking to seize the opportunity to get revenge on the post-clawing and, as a result, defenseless cat. However, one thing that cat lovers can’t stand in this comic is the use of declawing, a process that has been considered inhumane, leaving cat lovers cringing.
5
“Zelda! Calm down!”
February 24, 1987
Cats, like any pet, will perk up at any mere noise that signals that food, whether intended for them or not, is nearby. Very familiar with this cat habit of paying attention when they hear the buzz of a can opening, signaling that the food is ready, Gary Larson makes a Far Side comic that cat lovers will find hilarious and strangely relatable. When two cats open a can of food, their cat neighbors, the Rothenbergs, come out at the sound of the can opener. The presence of the Rothenbergs is not at all what the cats in the comic want, so one cat tells the other, Zelda, to stop immediately so that their neighbors don’t come near them.
4
“I don’t know anything”
Taking the cat that eats the canary literally, The Far Side offers readers a comic that shows a woman coming home to a messy house, dynamite, an exploded cage, and a contented cat, all in one room. Based on the stray feathers on the ground and the fact that there are literally no birds in sight, someone would make a lot of money betting that the cat ate the poor woman’s bird. Likewise, the cat seems very happy, almost like he just ate or something, as crazy as that may sound. Cat lovers may not want to admit it, but they can relate to the comic when the cat gets up to all sorts of mischief while the owner in the story is away, something every cat owner has been through.
3
“Is he friendly?”
September 17, 1985
The Far Side is highly skilled at showing readers the conclusion rather than telling it, as any good writer should. As a result, this Far Side Comics are extremely funny, especially for cat lovers. A woman pets a couple’s pet cat, quite taken with the little boy, asking if he’s friendly, only for readers to see the cat’s hapless owners incredibly beaten, clawed and even missing an eye and some hair. You don’t need to be a feline expert to know that the cat in the comics is an aggressive kitten, especially towards its owners. Cat lovers will find this comic resonates greatly with them, with even the most devoted cat lovers getting the upper hand at their cat’s whim. They are not known as the cutest animals, The Far Side gives cat lovers something to relate to and laugh about.
2
“That damn cat”
Cat lovers, as much as they love their feline creatures, may be exasperated by some of their cats’ quirks. An annoying characteristic of cats is that they have a habit of bringing unwanted items into the house from outside. The items that cats can drag into the home can be disgusting, with some cats bringing dead animals home to their owners. Unless one is a taxidermist, dragging dead animals into one’s home seems like a nightmare. The Far Side recognizes this annoying attribute of the cat in a strip that shows a cat dragging a cart full of different creatures that he pulls into the house while his owners try to keep him away. All cat owners and lovers can identify with the people in the comics, understanding the exasperation that arises when they see their cat arriving at the door with some unwanted souvenir.
1
“What They Hear”
December 14, 1983
Cat lovers, as much as they adore felines, can attest that animals don’t like to listen, no matter how firm their human’s proclamation. Gary Larson cleverly puts the ignoring-the-cat situation on the page with a comic strip that shows a woman spanking a cat for its bad behavior, only to show that the car is listening to none of it at all. Cat lovers can attest to this annoying phenomenon where they say something to their cat and it doesn’t seem to make sense. Cats are very stubborn animals who like to do things their way or no way at all, with this comic giving a full scientific explanation behind this disgusting cat behavior seen by cat lovers everywhere. Although cats may not be perfect, cat lovers will continue to love them even when they ignore them.