# What is the cat in Willow's poster? (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [September 1, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811 "2011-09-01T01:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/1 "2011-09-01T01:40:48Z")
I’m posting this question by a friend on another forum because the SDMB is good for this sort of trivia: In the later series of Buffy, Willow has a print of an orange cat on her wall. It’s def hanging when she lives in the summers house. What is it? The orange cat? It’s not a picture of Miss Kitty Fantastico, since she had different colouring. I’m not sure if this should be in GQ or CS. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/2 "2011-09-01T02:35:20Z")
I don’t have an answer, but I just wanted to say “hang in there!” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/3 "2011-09-01T04:12:39Z")
1. This is a Cafe Society question. 2. Can you find a picture of it online? Here, I’ll try. Not saying this is right, but is this it? [Kitty Poster](http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/138/180/495/B4F3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/4 "2011-09-02T03:49:25Z")
Well? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/5 "2011-09-02T13:35:47Z")
I’ve sent the picture to my friend to ask if that’s the one. I don’t remember ever seeing the poster myself. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/6 "2011-09-02T19:26:34Z")
Apparently no, it’s not a photo of a cat, it looks like an old fashioned cartoon of an orange cat. But thanks for looking. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/7 "2011-09-02T19:35:31Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > old fashioned cartoon of an orange cat Totally obscure, so I can see how no one would recognize it, but I bet it’s [this guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield). Kidding, kidding. You don’t have a screenshot, do you? I’m trying to find one. Or can you tell me a specific episode to look at when I get home? ETA: If it’s a cartoon of a cat versus a photograph of one, is there any particular reason to assume the cat “is” anyone, or has any significance beyond decoration? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/8 "2011-09-02T19:46:05Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Totally obscure, so I can see how no one would recognize it, but I bet it’s [this guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield). > > Kidding, kidding. You don’t have a screenshot, do you? I’m trying to find one. Or can you tell me a specific episode to look at when I get home? > > ETA: > > If it’s a cartoon of a cat versus a photograph of one, is there any particular reason to assume the cat “is” anyone, or has any significance beyond decoration? Heh. No, not Garfield. It’s not me asking, but a friend; I just thought Dopers would appreciate the challenge. I’ll ask her. But I think it was just in a couple of episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/9 "2011-09-02T19:51:13Z")
It would be cool if it was [Hermione’s orange Persian cat Crookshanks](http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&q=hermione's+cat+crookshanks&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1680&bih=959&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi) from the Harry Potter 'verse. You know, one witch referencing another. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/10 "2011-09-02T19:54:18Z")
That would be cool. I think the timeline’s wrong, but I asked anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/11 "2011-09-02T21:20:08Z")
Buffy aired from 1997 to 2003; I don’t think Willow was shown living in the Summers house until the beginning of Season 6 after Buffy died, to take care of Dawn, so that would put it at late 2001 through early 2003. The Harry Potter books came out starting in 1997, so it’s certainly \*possible \*for Crookshanks to be the inspiration for the cat. Of course, the idea of a cat as a witch’s familiar didn’t originate with Rowling, and Willow certainly had an established fondness for cats, having had one as a pet. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/12 "2011-09-02T23:34:52Z")
If it helps, I think it’s in a screencap on [this page](http://disparue.org/gallery/2/buffy/6/619/index.php?page=1) (4th across, 4th down). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/13 "2011-09-03T16:31:46Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > If it helps, I think it’s in a screencap on [this page](http://disparue.org/gallery/2/buffy/6/619/index.php?page=1) (4th across, 4th down). You sure that’s a cat? ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/14 "2011-09-03T19:17:07Z")
The one on the left is a naked lady. The one on the right is an orange cartoon cat. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/15 "2011-09-03T20:35:41Z")
[Here is a direct link to the cat picture in question.](http://disparue.org/gallery/2/buffy/6/619/images/buffy619_0027.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/16 "2011-09-03T21:01:39Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > The one on the left is a naked lady. The one on the right is an orange cartoon cat. I think the thing in the middle is Droopy (from the HB cartoons). ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/17 "2011-09-04T19:21:44Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [Here is a direct link to the cat picture in question.](http://disparue.org/gallery/2/buffy/6/619/images/buffy619_0027.jpg) Forbidden You don’t have permission to access /gallery/2/buffy/6/619/images/buffy619\_0027.jpg on this server. Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/18 "2011-09-04T22:34:30Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > Forbidden > > You don’t have permission to access /gallery/2/buffy/6/619/images/buffy619\_0027.jpg on this server. > > Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. Hotlinking is blocked (I think that’s what it’s called). Anyway, when that happens just put your cursor in your browsers address bar (and don’t forget the all-important lime in the coconut thing) and hit enter/click ‘go’/whatever works with your browser. Page should load. If not, drink more. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/19 "2011-09-06T18:25:59Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [Here is a direct link to the cat picture in question.](http://disparue.org/gallery/2/buffy/6/619/images/buffy619_0027.jpg) I cropped the screenshot down to just the relevant bit and [hosted it here](http://i53.tinypic.com/25zrm6o.jpg). (Looking through the rest of the screenshots, I couldn’t find anything better–also, wow, I’d forgotten how much happened in that episode.) Especially in combination with the other pieces, it looks like just generic “art” to me–the kind of stuff the set dressers would pull out of a warehouse based on what kind of character they’re decorating for. Tried a reverse image search with TinyEye, but nothing turned up. ETA: It’s also [none of these cats](http://drbillbrown.com/cartoons.htm). ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811/20 "2011-09-06T20:25:55Z")
It does actually look familiar to me, but that’s possibly because I’ve seen that episode so often. I thought it might be from the Jetsons or something else set in space, but the Jetsons didn’t have a cat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cat-in-willows-poster-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/594811.md?page=2)