Simon's Cat

Simon's Cat is a wildly popular series of simple black-and-white animated films following the misadventures of a mischievous, permanently hungry house cat and his long-suffering owner. Created by British animator Simon Tofield, the cartoon debuted on YouTube in 2008 with a short called "Cat Man Do", in which the cat resorts to increasingly outrageous tactics — including brandishing a baseball bat — to wake its owner for breakfast. It was an instant hit.

What makes the series so beloved is its uncanny accuracy. Tofield draws on the behaviour of his own cats, and every film captures the small, universal truths of living with one: the 3 a.m. demands for food, the fascination with anything that dangles, the wounded dignity, the chaos left in a cat's wake. There is no dialogue — just expressive line drawings and perfectly observed feline body language — which lets the humour cross every language and border.

Simon's Cat has grown into a global phenomenon, with a YouTube channel followed by millions, a string of best-selling books, and a cast of characters including a tiny kitten and a hedgehog. Beyond the laughs, Tofield has used the brand's reach to promote cat welfare and understanding through the "Simon's Cat Logic" series, in which the films are paired with real feline-behaviour advice from experts.