Tale of Two Kitties (Cartoon, 1942)

A Tale of Two Kitties is a Warner Bros. animated short featuring the debut of Tweety Bird (though he’s not yet called Tweety here—just “the bird”). The cartoon centers on two cats, originally named Catstello and Babbitt (parodies of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello), who are trying to catch and eat the little pink bird perched in a nest high up in a tree. Catstello is the dim-witted, nervous one, while Babbitt is the scheming, bossy leader.
The plot kicks off with the two cats spotting the bird and hatching various plans to nab it. Babbitt keeps pushing Catstello to climb the tree, despite Catstello’s hilarious reluctance and fear of heights. Their schemes get increasingly absurd—think makeshift seesaws, wobbly ladders, and even a wild attempt to fly using a pair of feathers. The bird, though tiny and innocent-looking, turns out to be surprisingly clever, thwarting their efforts with deadpan timing and a few well-placed moves.
The humor is classic Looney Tunes: slapstick gags, quick banter, and the cats’ over-the-top failures. Catstello’s whining (“Oh, I’m a bad boy!”) and Babbitt’s exasperated reactions steal the show. By the end, the cats are battered and birdless, while the little pink guy stays smugly out of reach.
It’s a fast-paced, 7-minute romp that set the stage for Tweety’s later fame alongside Sylvester.