Arthur

Arthur was a white British shorthair who became one of the United Kingdom's best-known television cats in the 1960s and 1970s as the star of adverts for Kattomeat (later Katkins) cat food. His signature trick made him famous: rather than eating from a bowl in the ordinary way, Arthur would scoop the food out with his paw and lick it from there, a quirky habit that delighted viewers and made the commercials instantly recognisable across Britain. He appeared in dozens of adverts and became a genuine household name, his image plastered across packaging and promotions. Arthur's fame even spilled into the courts: in the mid-1970s a widely publicised legal dispute erupted over the ownership of the famous cat, a saga that filled newspaper columns and only added to his celebrity. The 'Arthur' role and name became so valuable a brand asset that the cat-food line itself was eventually renamed 'Arthur's' in his honour. He remains a fondly remembered piece of British advertising history — proof that a single, charming habit could turn an ordinary white cat into a national star.