When the Cat's Away (1935)

Directed by: Rudolf Ising

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

Synopsis: In this Happy Harmonies animated short, a group of mice take advantage of a female feline’s outdoor dalliance.

Cartoon Cats: The short begins with a pretty orange and white female cat (we know this because she is wearing a red bow) sleeping in front of a fireplace.

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat with red bow sleeping in front of fireplace

The kettle on the fire hisses and spits and the fire crackles, throwing out some hot embers. The cat awakens in time to flick one of these burning nuggets back into the fire with her tail.

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat with red bow flicking ember back into fireplace with tail

The female cat is listening for mice but instead hears the love calls of a black tom outside. She goes to the window to see him.

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat with red bow sitting on mat

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat with red looking out of window at black tom cat

They start meowing at each other with musical me-ow-ow-ows.

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat with red bow looking out of window at black tom cat yowling

Finally she leaps out the window to yowl with her boyfriend on the rooftops. One mouse takes advantage of this and closes the window, announcing to the other mice that the cat is gone and they can eat and play freely.

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat and black tom cat on rooftop yowling

When the Cat's Away - cartoon mouse looking at orange and white cat and black tom cat on rooftop

This hero mouse and a female mouse are dancing when a rat wearing pants (only the hero and heroin mice and rat are wearing clothes!) tries to assault them. At this moment the female cat returns, opening the window and spying the rat.

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat coming in window and seeing rat accosting mice

The female cat leaps through the window and chases the rat back into his hole, snatching his pants right off him!

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat leaping through window over mice

When the Cat's Away - orange and white cartoon cat with red bow holding rat's pants

The mice safely return to their hole while the cat is occupied. But the hero mouse ventures forth again to carry a bowl of milk to the cat and give her a congratulatory thank you before leaving. The female cat seems pleased with this gesture.