10 Best The Far Side Comics About Cats

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, The Far Side provided laughs to a wide audience with its surrealist humor and pointed commentary on human behavior. Creator Gary Larson used a wide array of characters in his Far Side cartoons, but one favorite subject of The Far Side was animals. The Far Side employed all kinds of animals, particularly cows, for which it became known, but it also often used pets, including the internet’s favorite type of animal, cats.

The Far Side was often not kind to its feline characters. Dogs in The Far Side were portrayed as loyal but dim-witted. In contrast, cats in The Far Side are usually portrayed as being the victims of their natural enemies, dogs. When The Far Side wasn’t making cats into victims, it was usually commenting on some of the cats’ more unusual behaviors. Either way, cats appear in some of the best Far Side cartoons ever created.

The Far Side Makes Common Expressions Literal

Published: September 26, 1985

Police enter a room full of dead cats and scientific equipment in The Far Side comic strip by Gary Larson

In addition to creating many The Far Side comics about animals, creator Gary Larson habitually took common expressions from the English language. He made them literal in his Far Side cartoons. Typically, the comics would highlight the absurdity of a phrase when taken literally. Here, he has done exactly that with the common expression, “curiosity killed the cat.”

In common usage, “curiosity killed the cat” is a warning to people that if they look into something too closely, it might negatively affect them. However, in typical The Far Side fashion, the situation is far more absurd. Rather than engaging in typical cat behavior, the cats in this Far Side comic apparently died thanks to engaging in scientific study.

Cats in The Far Side Don't Take Baths

Published: October 14, 1987

A cat stands in a bathtub with a giant tongue on the wall, over the caption

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Many people choose to own cats rather than dogs because cats are fairly low-maintenance. Dogs need to be walked regularly and washed if they get dirty, which they tend to do regularly. Cats, on the other hand, largely take care of themselves. They keep themselves clean by avoiding messy situations and grooming themselves with sandpaper-like tongues.

This The Far Side cartoon has focused on the unique way that cats clean themselves. Rather than contorting itself into various positions to reach all of its body parts with its own tongue, this cat has installed a “cat shower” to do the work. Of course, being a cat, no water is involved, only an absurdly large replica tongue to rub against.

Dogs in The Far Side Try to Outwit Cats

Published: September 30, 1985

A dog lies in wait as a cat examines an open washing machine with

Many of the best Far Side comics feature dogs. Dogs seem to be a favorite subject of creator Gary Larson and are usually portrayed favorably in The Far Side. Cats, on the other hand, don’t fare quite so well. The natural prey of canines, cats are often shown to be the dogs' victims in The Far Side.

In this hilarious Far Side comic featuring a dog, the canine has set a trap for any unsuspecting cats who happen to pass by. The dog has written “CAT FUD” on several surfaces, with arrows pointing toward the washing machine cavity. This comic demonstrates how Larson often portrayed dogs as having limited intelligence and cats as dogs’ hapless victims.

The Far Side Tells a Tale of Pet Shop Drama

Published: September 14, 1985

A Far Side comic showing a piranha and a cat with peg legs sit inside a pet shop

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The Far Side needed to tell entire stories with just a single panel, and Gary Larson was a master at conveying a complete tale with one sole image. This Far Side cartoon is one of Larson’s most masterful examples of this technique, expressing a clear narrative without requiring a single word as a caption.

In this classic The Far Side comic, a cat with peg legs sits inside a pet shop. Also inside the shop is a bowl containing a piranha. Readers can easily discern the events that led up to that scene, with cats often trying to grab fish to eat and piranhas attacking any living creature they find in the water.

Cats Always Recognize Certain Noises in The Far Side

Published: Unknown

One cat tells the other to stop using the can opener because the neighbors are coming over

Many of the best The Far Side comics explore the absurdities of human behavior. Gary Larson would often replace people with animals in a situation to highlight those absurdities. Occasionally, however, Larson would reverse that scenario by focusing on the unusual behavior of animals instead.

Cats love fish, particularly canned tuna. As a result, there is a common cultural reference that if cats hear a can opener, they will run towards the sound. In this The Far Side comic, the cats are portrayed as humans, with the sound of the can opener attracting an unwelcome visit from the neighbors.

Dogs Must Educate Themselves on Feline Behavior in The Far Side

Published: May 2, 1985

One dog instructs a room of dogs on how to recognize cat trickery

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In many households, pet cats and dogs get along just fine. In popular culture, however, cats and dogs are typically mortal enemies. Dogs want to eat cats, and cats want to avoid or deceive the threatening canines. In The Far Side, this rivalry is often played up, with cats portrayed as the victims of their adorable but dim-witted predators.

In real life, dogs can be incredibly intelligent. In The Far Side, they are usually a bit slow. In this Far Side cartoon, dogs are shown banding together to try and defeat their natural enemies. One savvy dog is teaching the others that when a cat raises its fur and appears to get bigger, it’s just a trick, and the dogs shouldn’t be intimidated.

Cats in The Far Side Don't Listen to Their Owners

Published: December 14, 1983

What we say to cats versus what they hear, which is nothing

The Far Side cartoons are full of hilarious misunderstandings, from people misreading each other to aliens misunderstanding human behavior. Far Side creator Gary Larson also explored how pets can misunderstand their owners. Often, people think they are being quite clear when addressing their dog or cat, but the truth is less certain.

In a Far Side comic quite similar to this one, Larson gave the same treatment to dogs, who only heard their name when their owner was speaking. Here, an owner is talking to her cat, and the cat is even less invested than the dog, hearing absolutely nothing that its owner is saying. Cats are notoriously independent, so this comic should not shock any cat owners.

Dogs are Judged by Cats in The Far Side

Published: September 28, 1985

A dog stands trial for allegedly killing a cat in a courtroom full of other cats

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Dogs in The Far Side are always trying to attack cats. The direct result of these efforts is rarely shown, but sometimes the subsequent consequences are. Gary Larson often used animal characters in The Far Side in ways that mimic human behavior. This technique was typically used to highlight ridiculous human behavior, but it could also sometimes be based on the animals’ own habits.

In this surreal The Far Side comic, a dog is on trial in a courtroom full of cats. Cats make up the judge and jury; only the defendant and his lawyer are canines. The defendant has an adorable, vacant expression on his face as his attorney attempts to convince the presumably unfriendly jurors of his innocence.

Sometimes Cats in The Far Side Live Out Their Fantasies

Published: April 20, 1984

A cat looks through a window at a crash between a rodent and small bird company's trucks

The Far Side draws inspiration from many different sources. Anything from theology to famous historical events can result in a hilarious Far Side cartoon. When dealing with animals, however, the animals’ own behavior is often the subject of the comic. No behavior is more fundamental to animals than their predatory instinct.

Cats are often portrayed as the victims of dogs in The Far Side, but cats are also predators. Cats will happily hunt and feed on any type of small creature, but they are best known for attacking small rodents and birds. In this The Far Side comic, a cat is witnessing his sweetest fantasy as a truck full of mice collides with a truck full of small birds, releasing both groups into the cat’s line of sight.

Dogs Play with Cats in The Far Side

Published: Unknown

Two dogs play tetherball with a cat tied to a rope in The Far Side

Unlike many other newspaper comics, The Far Side can be surprisingly dark at times. Gary Larson doesn't shy away from uncomfortable or even gruesome scenarios while commenting on human or animal behavior. Even when the behavior displayed by the Far Side characters is absurd, it can still be a bit upsetting.

In this macabre Far Side cartoon, Larson has once again explored the rivalry between cats and dogs. Unfortunately for the cat, the dogs have come out on top and are playing with their incapacitated victim in this scene. In a typically absurd The Far Side twist, however, the dogs are playing with the cat as humans play with a ball by creating a tetherball-like contraption called “tether.”