Cat and Moth (2022)

Oct 9, 2023

by Linda Kay

Directed by: India Barnardo

Synopsis: An adorable fluffy white cat named Ditto finds the perfect place to sleep but is interrupted by a pesky moth.

Cartoon Cats: The short begins with Ditto the cat sleeping on a bookshelf. She soon finds the books keep falling on her, making it a less than ideal spot.

Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto sleeping on bookshelf

Other places around the home are tried and also prove inadequate.

Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto on globe
Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto in tiny cardboard box

Eventually Ditto finds the perfect spot on the sofa. But her comfy world is soon disrupted by a pesky moth who won’t let her sleep in peace.

Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto happy on sofa
Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto standing on sofa
Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto nervous on sofa

An all-out battle begins between the two, jumping from 3D computer animation to brilliant, artistic 2D artwork.

Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto on sofa facing moth
Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto chasing moth in stylized animation
Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto jumping to catch moth
Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto looking up

Eventually it looks like Ditto is going to win the fight, but things take a rather existential turn.

Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto leaping with mouth open at moth
Cat and Moth - fluffy white cat Ditto in 2D animation
Cat and Moth - grey cat standing on shelf

We won’t spoil much of this adorable film but believe us, it doesn’t go in the direction you think it will!

Behind the Scenes

Director India Barnardo was greatly inspired by two of her childhood cats Leia and Jaja. As she explained on the cartoon’s official website about one of them: “When Leia wasn’t a fully grown fat black cat, as she muchly became, I used to be able to hold her up, in the palm of my hand, to the lamp hanging from the ceiling at the end of my bed and she would munch the circling moths out of the air like Homer Simpson eating crisps in zero gravity.”

Cat and Moth - black cat Leia and grey tabby Jaja
Director India Barnardo’s childhood cats Leia and Jaja as seen in an introductory video for Cat and Moth.

This short is absolutely adorable, and the style and animation of Ditto is spot on. That little poofy tail!!

Final Mewsings: Who doesn’t appreciate adorable animated kitties?

Relevant Links:

IMDb logo
Official Website Link




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