Cat suit

Cat suits are a type of costumed character or creature suit resembling a cat, or any member of the Felidae. They are one of the most popular choices of mascot, and both stylized and realistic cat suits are commonly used in film and on stage, due to the cat's prominence in human culture. They are also used for advertising, entertainment and educational purposes.

This article is about the type of animal costume. For the form-fitting garment, see Catsuit.
A costume of the character Puss in Boots being used to promote the film of the same name.

In theatre

An elaborate costume of the Cowardly Lion was created for the 1902 musical version of The Wizard of Oz, where it was played by Arthur Hill, a popular animal impersonator.[1]

In the musical The Wiz, an African-American retelling of the classic children's novel and musical The Wizard of Oz, costume designer Tony Walton created a cat suit for the Cowardly Lion[2] played by actor Ted Ross.

When creating the costumes for the musical Cats, designer John Napier followed the hints in T. S. Eliot's text, blending together the cat and human elements, while ensuring that the costumes were naturally flexible and easy to move in.[3] In 2015, Napier was quoted as saying "A bit of a titter went around the theatre community that we were doing a show about pussycats, but I was determined to make it as rough as possible and not like a Puss in Boots pantomime".[4] In a review of a production of Cats in Los Angeles, UCLA's student newspaper, the Daily Bruin, described the show's cat costumes as "frighteningly realistic".[5]

In film

The character of Aslan was portrayed with a realistic two-person puppet suit for the BBC production of The Chronicles of Narnia, where it was worn by Alisa Berk and William Todd-Jones, and voiced by Ronald Pickup.

In sports

Cat suits are widely used as the mascots of sports teams in schools. As of 2016, the second most popular animal used as high school sports mascot, after the eagle, was the tiger, which is picked because it symbolizes strength.[6] Panthers and wildcats were also fourth and fifth, respectively, symbolizing speed and fierceness, respectively.[7][8]

Other well-known cat mascot suits in sports include the Nittany Lion, which was inducted to the Mascot Hall of Fame.[9]

They are also used in professional sports, such as the mascot DJ Kitty, which serves as a secondary mascot for the Tampa Bay Rays.[10]

Additionally, cats are commonly used as Olympic mascots. One of the mascots of the 2014 Winter Olympics was a leopard, and one of the two mascots of the 2018 Winter Olympics is Soohorang, a white tiger that is represented by a "cute" mascot suit.[11]

In advertising

The character Tony the Tiger often makes promotional appearances as a mascot, and an animatronic suit of the character was created in 2016 by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.[12] They are also made by the Olympus Group and serve the purpose of having people relate to the brand.[13]

Costumes of the feline characters Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws were commissioned by DreamWorks to promote the film Puss in Boots and appeared at its premiere alongside the characters' voice actors.[14]

In education

Suits of the character The Cat in the Hat are sold to schools and communities by the National Education Association to help teach children literacy, by relating it to the books of Dr. Seuss.[15]

The character Hello Kitty is often represented by mascot costumes, although she only bears the appearance of a cat and is not described as one by Sanrio.[16]

One of the main characters of the video game 428: Shibuya Scramble is an unknown woman named Tama who wears a cat suit to promote a store.[17]

Big cats are one of the most popular designs for fursuits, personal costumes created by the furry fandom.[18]

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References
  1. Evan Swartz, Mark (2002). Oz Before the Rainbow: L. Frank Baum's 'The wonderful Wizard of Oz' on stage and screen to 1939. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 79. ISBN 0801870925. OCLC 50614902.
  2. "Tony Walton and The Wiz | The Museum Of UnCut Funk". museumofuncutfunk.com. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  3. "The Junkyard • Cats the Musical • Official Website". Cats the Musical • Official Website. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  4. Shenton, Mark (2015-11-20). "John Napier: 'I'm a concept and barbed-wire designer' | Interviews". The Stage. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  5. "Theater review: Webber's 'Cats' displays visual excellence mired in plot confusion". dailybruin.com. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  6. "20 Most Popular High School Mascots". Insider Monkey. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  7. "20 Most Popular High School Mascots". Insider Monkey. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  8. "20 Most Popular High School Mascots". Insider Monkey. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  9. Wogenrich, Mark. "Penn State mascots reunite! The Nittany Lion is in the Mascot Hall of Fame". themorningcall.com. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  10. "DJ Kitty's debut: The Rays reveal new cat mascot". Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  11. Tognotti, Chris. "Everything You Need To Know About The Winter Olympics Mascot". Bustle. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  12. "Here's What's Made Tony the Tiger Cereal's Coolest Cat for So Many Years". Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  13. Sentinel, Rick Romell Milwaukee Journal. "Maker of mascot costumes has customers covered". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  14. "Exclusive Photos from the PUSS IN BOOTS Los Angeles Premiere". Assignment X. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  15. Boyles, Deron R. (2004). Schools Or Markets?: Commercialism, Privatization, and School-business Partnerships. Routledge. p. 76. ISBN 1135606927.
  16. Whiteman, Hilary. "Cat-astrophic revelation purr-turbs Hello Kitty fans". CNN. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  17. "セガ・チュンソフトプロジェクト | 428 ～封鎖された渋谷で～". 2008-12-17. Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  18. Wall, Kim (2016-02-04). "It's not about sex, it's about identity: why furries are unique among fan cultures". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
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