Claws in the Lease (1963) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The lady wanted a young, cute kitten as a pet, not an adult cat. When Junior arrived at her house, she offered him milk and seemed nurturing. Sylvester, being older and more desperate in his attempts, was seen as a nuisance rather than a companion. This is why she repeatedly chased Sylvester away with a broom whenever he tried to enter.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Junior tells his dad he found a home, but doesn't mention anything about both of them being welcome.

• adoption
• sylvester jr
• lady
• house
• pet

Sylvester hid inside Junior's can of Pussy Kins Cat Food. When the lady turned on the TV to watch her horse opera show, Sylvester jumped out of the can and onto the screen. He then improvised a commercial jingle for the cat food while visible on the television. The gag plays on the cartoon logic of characters being able to enter electronic devices.

• television
• sylvester
• commercial
• pussy kins
• can

Sylvester released the mice into the house thinking they would cause chaos and force the lady to accept him as the solution. He dressed as Superpuss, claiming he would save her from the mice infestation. However, the mice turned against Sylvester himself, ejecting him, Junior, and the lady from the house. The mice essentially took over the home, making the plan backfire completely.

Foreshadowing: Sylvester mutters he'll 'show that old bat I am worth my salt' before releasing the mice.

• mice
• sylvester
• superpuss
• eviction
• house

After the mice invasion, the lady was evicted from her own house. Furious at Sylvester for causing the disaster, she pounds him on the head. With nowhere else to go, all three end up back at the city dump where Sylvester and Junior originally lived. Junior declares them 'one big happy family,' though the lady threatens him about the chicken bones, showing their relationship remains contentious.

Foreshadowing: The lady blames Sylvester completely: 'An' it's all yer fault, ya stupid feline!'

• dump
• ending
• family
• lady
• sylvester jr
• eviction

Junior missed his father and wanted to be with him, even though he was being adopted by the lady. After Sylvester's failed TV commercial attempt, Junior secretly let his dad back inside the house. This shows the strong bond between father and son, as Junior was willing to go against the lady's rules to reunite with Sylvester.

• junior
• sylvester
• reunion
• house
• father son

Sylvester came up with the Superpuss superhero persona as his final attempt to get rid of the mice and prove his worth to the lady. He wore a cape and suit, dramatically announcing 'This is a job for Superpuss!' The costume was meant to position himself as the hero who would save the lady from the mouse infestation he himself created, hoping this would earn him a place in the household.

Foreshadowing: This follows his earlier scheme of using the mice to force the lady to accept him.

• superpuss
• sylvester
• hero
• mice
• costume

Sylvester improvised a jingle while on television: 'Pussy Kins Cat Food tastes real good, satisfies cats like cat food should, hardens their muscles, softens their fur, Pussy Kins Cat Food makes them purr.' After being thrown out, he continued with a parody of a Camel cigarette ad, asking if viewers were 'getting more cat food lately but enjoying it less.' The gag satirized 1950s-60s advertising techniques.

• pussy kins
• commercial
• jingle
• advertising
• television

The lady was in a cheerful mood preparing for her bath, singing 'Home on the Range' as she walked toward the bathroom. This sets up the moment where Sylvester hides in the shower, not realizing she was about to enter. The song choice is ironic because she claims to want a home but is about to have her peaceful routine disrupted by the cat's presence.

Foreshadowing: The lady's peaceful singing contrasts with the chaos that follows.

• home on the range
• lady
• bathroom
• singing
• shower

After being used as a scrubber in the shower, Sylvester hid in the lady's bathrobe as she put it on. Some hair rollers ended up on his head while still inside the robe. When the lady started putting rollers in her own hair, Sylvester popped up behind her, causing her to scream. He then made a frantic escape, adding another failed scheme to his list of attempts to stay in the house.

• bathrobe
• rollers
• sylvester
• escape
• bathroom

When Junior rushed to tell his father he found a home, Sylvester misunderstood and thought the fish cannery had reopened, which would mean more food for them at the dump. This confusion sets up the reveal that Junior actually found a house for them, leading to the adoption conflict with the lady who only wanted the kitten.

• fish cannery
• sylvester
• 误会
• Junior
• dump