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National Garfield Day

June 16, 2020

June 19th is National Garfield Day! This grouchy orange feline has won the hearts of millions with his sarcastic, unimpressed ‘purrsonality.’ Below, a Heath, TX vet discusses this lasagna-loving furball.


History

Curious as to why June 19th is National Garfield Day? It’s his birthday! Back in 1978, a little orange ball of cynicism was born in the kitchen of Mamma Leoni’s Italian Restaurant, where he immediately developed a lifelong love of lasagna. In fact, the kitten consumed so much that the owner of the restaurant, faced with going out of business, had to sell the food-loving feline to a pet store. Fortunately, cartoonist (and self-professed nerd) Jon Arbuckle saved the day by adopting Garfield. And the rest, as they say, is history. 


Friends and Enemies

Although Garfield has always been the focal point, he’s shared the stage with a variety of co-stars over the years. This list includes Arlene, his crush; Odie, Jon’s slobbery, eternally gullible dog; a mouse named Floyd; Nermal, the World’s Cutest Kitten; Pooky, his beloved teddy bear; and, of course, his veterinarian, Liz, with whom Jon is head-over-heels in love. This fluffy (okay, fat) orange furball also has a few enemies. Given the option, Garfield would probably list Nermal and Odie as his primary nemeses. However, he’s also occasionally found himself at odds with trees, raisins, the occasional spider, screen doors, several dogs, and, of course, every Monday ever.


Rising Star

Garfield became a worldwide sensation by the early 80’s. He soon made the leap from newspaper comic strips to television, starring in such classics as The Garfield Show, Garfield Originals, and Garfield’s Halloween, just to name a few. He released his first book, Garfield at Large, in 1980, and made his way to the silver screen in 2004 with Garfield: The Movie. Over the years, the flabby tabby has been voiced by the esteemed actor Bill Murray, and was once the subject of the biggest Macy’s parade float ever. In the ‘90s, an amusement park ride was named after him at Kennywood in West Miffin, PA. In 2011, he even launched his own musical! Presently, the lovably lazy kitty holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most syndicated comic strip. Not too shabby for a cat that spends most of his time sleeping!


Is your feline friend obese, lazy, and/or orange? Does your curious kitty torment innocent house spiders or love cuddling teddy bears? Reach out to us, your Heath, TX pet clinic!