Petey the Cat

About Petey the Cat

**Petey the Cat** (often just called Petey) is a central character in Dav Pilkey’s *Dog Man* book series (a spin-off from *Captain Underpants*). He starts as the main antagonist—self-proclaimed “World’s Most Evilest Cat”—but evolves into a deuteragonist and reformed (though still grumpy) good guy, largely due to his son/clone Li’l Petey. ### Appearance Petey is an **anthropomorphic ginger (orange) cat** with distinctive **black stripes** running from his shoulders down his back and along his tail. His eyes are typically drawn as simple vertical black lines (like most characters in the series), with no visible irises. He has whiskers on his cheeks—specifically, as of *A Tale of Two Kitties*, his right cheek has only **two whiskers** while the left has three. His tail has a flat tip (unlike other family members). He has a tall, lanky build. In the 2025 *Dog Man* movie adaptation, his design is slightly adjusted with crooked whiskers and green eyes. ### Personality Petey is highly intelligent, inventive, and quick-witted, often using clever manipulation and gadgets for his schemes. He has a **hot-headed, irritable temper**, easily annoyed by small inconveniences, immaturity, or “ditsy” behavior (e.g., from characters like Molly). This leads to frequent outbursts and stress. Early on, he’s cunning, vengeful, and power-hungry, viewing life as a competition to dominate. Despite this, he occasionally shows flashes of empathy. His arc involves significant growth: becoming a single father softens him, making him more thoughtful, protective, and determined to improve. Official descriptions capture this well: - “Once known as the World's Most Evilest Cat, Petey is now working on becoming a better version of himself.” (Strength: Intelligence; Weakness: Easily Annoyed) - “He used to be an irritable, impatient bad guy. But when his son arrived, Petey became determined to change his ways. Now he's an irritable, impatient good guy.” He remains sarcastic and flawed but prioritiz