Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats

Gertrude Vandergelt had been living as a bag lady in Hoagie's Alley after faking her death to escape her everyday life. When Benny unexpectedly saved her from trouble, she saw his kindness as a sign of good character. She named him heir to test if he could survive the threats she anticipated would come from her scheming butler Snerdly, who she knew would try to eliminate anyone who stood between him and the fortune.

Benny had to survive without any harm coming to him for exactly 48 hours after Gertrude's death. If Benny died or was harmed during this period, the entire fortune would go to Snerdly as the remaining heir. This two-day window created the ticking clock that drove most of the movie's tension and Snerdly's schemes.

Snerdly orchestrated a complex scheme to eliminate Benny within the 48-hour window. He invited Kitty Glitter with the promise of marrying a wealthy cat, then used a costume party as cover, forcing Benny into a bulldog mask and calling the dogcatcher to capture what appeared to be a stray dog. With Benny caught and facing danger at the pound, Snerdly hoped he would either be put down or the situation would fataly resolve the inheritance problem.

Amy was hidden at the car wash as part of Snerdly's scheme. He had kidnapped the actual heiress and concealed her there to prevent her from claiming her inheritance. Snerdly planned to keep Amy hidden until after the 48-hour period expired, at which point the fortune would legally pass to him since both Gertrude's chosen heir (Benny) and the true heir (Amy) would be eliminated from contention.

Sid Buckman was actually Gertrude Vandergelt herself in disguise. She had faked her own death to lure out Snerdly's true colors and expose his criminal intentions. The supposed lawyer who read the will was the wealthy matron all along, using the alias to watch how Snerdly would react to Benny's inheritance and to ensure the rightful heir would be protected.

Snerdly set up Kitty Glitter with a fake date, telling her she would meet a handsome wealthy cat. When Brain showed up, he was dressed in Top Cat's iconic appearance as part of the scheme. Kitty had never actually met Top Cat before, so she assumed Brain was him. This mix-up temporarily derailed Snerdly's plan and gave the gang time to realize something was wrong.

Dibble learned during the story that his retirement had been approved, which gave him relief from constantly chasing the gang. With his pension secure, he dropped all charges against Top Cat and the gang and even helped them by providing tips about Benny's location. However, by the end of the film, Dibble missed the excitement of police work and chose to return to active duty, resuming his old dynamic with the gang.

After Dibble tipped them off about Benny's location at the pound, Top Cat and the gang commandeered a limousine and raced to the facility. They staged a dramatic breakout, engaging in a high-speed chase with the dogcatcher and his Doberman. The gang used their wits and teamwork to evade capture while freeing Benny, though the pursuit continued through the streets.

After Gertrude's true identity was revealed and Snerdly's scheme collapsed, he made one final attempt to escape by disguising himself with the same bulldog mask Benny had worn. However, the dogcatcher quickly recognized the ruse and arrested both Snerdly and his wolfhound Rasputin. Their criminal plans were thwarted, and the inheritance was resolved properly.

Gertrude faked her death to expose Snerdly's criminal nature. She suspected the butler was scheming to steal her fortune but needed to see how he would behave when faced with a new heir. By disguised as Sid Buckman, she could observe the plotting firsthand and gather evidence while the criminals revealed their true intentions.