Not a cat paw-son? Study claims felines are seen as cold and evil because of the way they’re portrayed in films and TV shows – from Austin Powers to Cinderella

Cats may be viewed as cold, aloof and domineering because of the way Hollywood portrays them, a new study suggests.

From the murderous Lucifer in the Disney classic Cinderella to the power-hungry Persian Mr. Tinkles in Cats and Dogs, cats have an image problem.

An analysis of 50 famous cats in films, with a significant amount of screen time, found that 60% were portrayed as ‘villains’.

These include the unpredictable and tricky Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, and the terrifying gray cat in the horror film Pet Sematary.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that a white cat is on the lap of Blofeld, the Bond villain who was later parodied in the Austin Powers films, or that one of the biggest problems facing Ben Stiller’s character in Meet the Parents is an intelligent cat named Mr. Jinx .

Meanwhile, research by digital marketing agency Evoluted found that 64% of cats with significant roles in TV shows were viewed negatively.

These include Sylvester the cartoon cat in his desperate and inept attempts to catch the yellow canary Tweety, and the similar role of the cat in the Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Another example from the small screen is Mrs. Whiskerson – the Sphynx cat whom Rachel bought in an episode of Friends and who was met with horror when she brought her home.

According to research, Siamese and Persian cats are the breeds most negatively portrayed.

Among these Persian cats is Duchess, the spoiled and initially cruel cat in Papi – the film about a pig learning to herd sheep.

There are also a pair of evil Siamese cats in the original Disney film Lady and The Tramp.

Nearly half of the cats portrayed negatively across movies and television were black or grey, like Salem – the warlock-turned-cat featured on the popular TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

But red cats, like the ones featured in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, were viewed in a more sympathetic light, making up 40% of the cats who were “goodies” in the movies.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Jeremy Campbell, clinical director at the London Cat Clinic, said the negative portrayal of cats in films and television may be due to their more subtle personality.

“Cats are not clear in their emotions, do not provide the instant gratification that dogs do, and are therefore perceived as unfriendly or unemotional,” he said.

The research found that many bad cats on screen appear worse because they are accompanied by good or heroic dogs.

An example of this is Mittens, the black and white cat in the 2008 Disney film Bolt who was initially the enemy of the brave canine character.

Researchers used IMDB, Wikipedia and Cinema Cats to find the 100 most popular cat characters in movies and looked at the top 50 characters who spent the most screen time.

They then discovered IMDB’s top 100 cats in popular TV shows, and analyzed the top 50 characters with the most important roles in individual episodes or shows.

Other cats who have been depicted to look bad in films include Mrs. Norris in the Harry Potter films, who tends to fetch her owner, Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch, when pupils break the rules.

The superhero comedy Kick-Ass features a useless cat named Mr. Bitey, while Toy Story 4 features a cat who likes to destroy toys.

But the search found some adorable cats, from postman Pat Jess’s cat to the much-loved Bugpuss.

Daniel Warren Cummings, behavior officer at Cat Conservation, said: “Our misunderstanding of what drives cat behavior plays a big part in why they are often portrayed as villains on screen.”

“For example, cats are often seen hissing or hitting dogs that get too close, leading people to believe that the dog is sweet-natured and the cat is aggressive – when in fact the cat was afraid of the approaching dog and was low-key.” The level of warning signs that the dog ignored, resulting in the cat escalating its behavior.

“Our tendency to view dogs as heroic and cats as evil stems from our natural response to the more obvious emotion that dogs give us rather than when a cat gives us a gentle bump on the head or wraps its tail around our leg.

“Because cats cannot be controlled and manipulated as easily as dogs, it is easy for us to feel less connected and to think of cats in more negative terms such as being mischievous or disobedient.”