Original Air Date: June 16, 1960
Starring: Donna Reed, Carl Betz, Shelley Fabares, Paul Petersen
Guest Starring: Orangey
Directed by: Andrew McCullough

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: When a cat follows Jeff (Paul Petersen) home, Dr. Alex Stone (Carl Betz) decides to teach his children how to act democratically and vote whether or not to keep the stray.  But their problems are quadrupled when “Harry” sneaks four kittens into the house.

Cinema Cat: While his credit is not verified this definitely looks like Orangey doing yet another television guest spot.  He is featured very prominently in the episode as Harry, the stray cat who follows Jeff home.  Jeff and Mary (Shelley Fabares) want to keep the cat but their father is less than excited.

After voting it is decided Dr. Stone will take the cat back where it was found.  But it doesn’t take long for Harry to return to the Stone household.  He even gives Dr. and Mrs. Donna Stone (Donna Reed) a wink (very similar to the animation done on Orangey at the end of Under the Yum Yum Tree.)

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): What they don’t realize is that Harry is actually Harriette and she manages to sneak four kittens into the house behind the Stones’ backs (do they always have a habit of leaving doors open like that?)

As is typical in sitcoms such as this, a newspaper article explains that the kittens are pedigrees worth $100 apiece.  They find this out just as Jeff and Mary have given them all away.  Donna comes up with the idea of getting four kittens from the animal shelter to offer the people in exchange for their kittens.  And in the end everything works out okay.

Final Mewsings: How is it that Dr. Stone didn’t know Harry was Harriette?

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