Surviving Christmas with the Relatives (2018)

by Mark Murton

Also Known As: Christmas Survival

Starring: Poppy

Directed by: James Dearden

Synopsis: Two sisters and their dysfunctional families gather for Christmas in their recently-deceased parents’ dilapidated country house and chaos ensues.

Kitty Cameo: Under the opening titles a young couple, Dan (Julian Ovenden) and Miranda (Gemma Whelan), are asleep with water dripping from the ceiling into a bucket at the end of the bed. A ginger and white tabby cat is lying by their feet.

Surviving Christmas - Dan Julian Ovenden sleeping in bed with ginger and white tabby cat Poppy at his feet
Surviving Christmas - Dan Julian Ovenden sleeping in bed with ginger and white tabby cat Poppy at his feet
Surviving Christmas - Dan Julian Ovenden looking down at ginger and white tabby cat Poppy on bed
Surviving Christmas - Dan Julian Ovenden sitting up in bed with ginger and white tabby cat Poppy

The cat is seen just once more when in the pandemonium of Christmas morning when a dog pokes its head around a door, frightening the cat which hisses at it (although the cat appears to be panting rather than hissing). And that’s it, the cat doesn’t appear again.

Surviving Christmas - ginger and white tabby cat Poppy
Surviving Christmas - ginger and white tabby cat Poppy

The animal wrangler on the film was Sandra Strong working for Dogs on Camera and the cat actor’s name was Poppy.

Surviving Christmas - ginger and white tabby cat Poppy scaring away dog by hissing animated gif

Final Mewsings: The cat should be included in the entire Christmas film, not just two tiny scenes.

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