What type of cat is Garfield? Beloved comic character's origins revealed

Garfield is perhaps one of the most renowned cats in pop culture history and has entertained millions of fans since its debut in 1976. The comic series is reportedly worth more than $800 million to over $1 billion from licensing and merchandising deals alone.

While the original comic strip series was named Jon, it was renamed after the titular cat from 1977. The iconic creator and writer Jim Davis initially portrayed the legendary orange cat's owner Jonathan 'Jon' Arbuckle as the primary character; however, Garfield took the lead in later strips.

In 2013, the feline comic character broke the Guinness World Record with over 2,580 syndicated appearances throughout global newspapers, journals, and magazines.

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Garfield's type and comic origin explored

Garfield is reportedly an orange Persian tabby cat, renowned for his laziness, love for lasagna, and hatred for Mondays. As per the comics, the oversized cat was born on June 19, 1978, in the kitchen of Mamma Leoni's Italian Restaurant.

The restaurant's owner then sold the orange tabby cat on the very same day of his birth. He was sold to a pet shop, where he was later bought by his current owner, Jon Arbuckle.

The cat rarely misses an opportunity to make fun of Jon and his slow-witted dog, Odie. Garfield makes fun of Jon's socially awkward nature, his fashion choices, or his nerdy demeanor at times. However, the renowned orange cat is secretly very fond of Arbuckle and Odie.

Garfield was not always anthropomorphic and had a massive change in its design after 1978. While initially he was portrayed as an ordinary feline, comic strips after the 1980s showcased the character with human features.

In the entire franchise, Garfield is shown to communicate with the readers with the help of thought bubbles. Furthermore, the meta character breaks the 'fourth wall' to address the audience in almost every appearance.

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Most common running gags of the Garfield franchise

1) He gets stuck in trees

Like most common cats, Garfield often finds himself stuck in trees. He seems to have a fear of height as often the iconic tabby cat is too scared to climb down the branches even if it is at lesser heights.

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2) He is highly sarcastic and arrogant

As per the comics, the cat has much arrogance and considers himself smarter than Jon and Odie. He frequently insults several characters in his thought bubbles.

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3) Eating Jon's pet fishes

Throughout the franchise, the orange tabby has eaten Jon's pet fishes. Similarly, he has also consumed plants and birds Jon brings home.

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4) Trolling the Mailman

The cat seemingly loves to mess with the mailman by stealing his mails and parcels. His pranks often cause physical harm to the mailman, which has caused the latter to dislike the cat.

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5) His hatred for Mondays

Perhaps one of the franchise's most common 'running gags' is the legendary cat's extreme dislike for Mondays. He reportedly considers the day an unlucky one, and the day itself was often showcased as a manifestation of a monstrous form.

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The renowned comic strip has had three animated TV series, with three animated and two-live action movies. In the previous live-action film, Garfield was voiced by Bill Murray, while in an upcoming film, he will be voiced by Chris Pratt.