Cats/WMG

Griddlebone was complicit in the Siamese attack on Growltiger's barge.

During "Growltiger's Last Stand", Growltiger is too distracted romancing Griddlebone to notice the Siamese slipping aboard his vessel, and Griddlebone escapes during the resultant confusion. Wouldn't the Siamese have made a point of taking her hostage to ensure Growltiger's surrender? A fluffy white cat like her would have stuck out like a sore thumb in even the most modest of lighting. Later on, during "Macavity: The Mystery Cat", Griddlebone is mentioned as one of his accomplices. This indicates two things:

1. Macavity is not much younger than Deuteronomy, as Asparagus, already established as past middle-aged by feline standards had played Growltiger in his youth.
2. Macavity conspired with the Siamese to ensure the ultimate downfall of Growltiger, using their mutual hatred as a lynchpin. Why? Because Growltiger refused to work with him to secure the Thames for his own use.

Macavity knew that Growltiger, as a sailor and, by his territorial behavior, likely an intact tom, would crave the company of a lady cat. Enter Griddlebone. Griddlebone was directed to romance and distract Growltiger, who would likely order his crew to give the two of them some privacy for their interlude. In the meantime, she kept in close touch with Macavity in the days leading up to her meeting with Growltiger, establishing a set of signals to let the Siamese know the time was right to sneak aboard the vessel. The Siamese had been ordered not to touch her on pain of Dire Consequences from Macavity. Whether they complied or not is unknown, but her role in Growltiger's downfall is apparently later discovered by the rest of the cat community.

• "Then Griddlebone she gave a screech, for she was badly skewered. I'm sorry to admit it but she quickly disappeared. She probably escaped with ease, I'm sure she was not drowned..."

• • "Badly skeered" (scared), not "skewered". And she might well be "skeered" even if she knows the Siamese are suppposed to let her go.

• A community theater production of Cats near this troper's home had this. Griddlebone spent a good deal of the Italian aria glancing over her shoulder and beckoning urgently at the Siamese.

Concerning familial relations (parent-child, brother-sister) among cats:

Parent - Child theories:

• Old Deuteronomy - Macavity, Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger and Mr. Mistoffelees, as all seem to be very powerful and important Jellicles
• Macavity - Quaxo/Mr. Mistoffelees, because both have magical powers.
• Grizabella - Rum Tum Tugger, as he has a mane and she seems to have a mane-ish thing

Siblings:

• Old Deuteronomy and Macavity - sort of a Cain and Abel, except Macavity's probably the younger one.
• Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger - the leading male cats. Munkustrap is the older, the eldest son of Old Deuteronomy, and grew up with the knowledge that he would lead the Jellicles one day. Rum Tum Tugger is the younger, and became a rebel. However, he has matured somewhat, and will make an excellent Lancer for his older brother.
  • It would add some Character Development to Tugger, as well; maybe Tugger is jelous of all the attention Munkustrap gets, and feels like he has to act up and put on a big show to get people to pay attention to him (going so far as to interrupt Munkustrap's story of the Pekes and the Pollicles with a little improv bagpipe number).
  • Or, Munkustrap, Tugger, Macavity and Alonzo. It Makes Sense in Context... This troper and her friend have several of these theories.
• Tumblebrutus and Pouncival - Their markings are too similar for them not to be related in some way.

Concerning friendship/romantic relationships among cats:

• Bombalurina seems a bit excited when singing about Macavity - Evil Is Sexy?
  • And Demeter seems to know a lot about him...
• Ho Yay - Rum Tum Tugger and Mr. Mistoffelees - the fact that someone as egotistical and self-centered as RTT would sing a song highly praising another cat, plus the fact that they dance together...
  • Plus, in some productions, Rum Tum Tugger gives Mistoffelees a little kiss after he sings,"The Rum Tum Tugger is a terrible Bore."
• Victoria and... everyone. Mistoffelees, Plato, and a brief (two-ish seconds) helping of Munkustrap.

Religious imagery

Probably obvious, but Old Deuteronomy as Jesus/a saint, Macavity as Satan, and the Heavyside Layer as heaven. Alternativly, the Heavyside Layer could be reincarnation.

Demeter is Munkunstrap for the queen kittens

Demeter is clearly a pretty kick-ass queen (at one point trying to scratch Tugger for annoying her, when the other adult queens just ignore him). However, whatever happened between her and Macavity screwed her up pretty much permanently, which is why Bombalurina sings part of the Macavity song. So Demeter has an extreme grudge against Macavity, and, realizing that he could easily hurt a younger, dumber kitten (looking at you, Victoria), protects them the way Munkunstrap protects the tribe. This also explains her friendship\mating with Munkunstrap--because they have such similar jobs, they're good friends\logical mates.

Cassandra is the sister of Hector from Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats

Both are tall and slender with Siamese markings. Plus, their names hint that they may be brother and sister. (It's from The Iliad! Read a book!)

• In which case, there may also be some connection between Mungojerrie and Mungo, although they're very different.

Admetus is gay

• In the CATS Video, if you look closely at the background during the end of "Rum Tum Tugger", you can see he gets very excited.
  • Could just be that even the toms want Tugger.

Plato is Macavity in disguise

• Through out the whole musical, he is there watching and waiting for the right moment to strike. When he tries and fails, he goes back to his "Plato" disguise.

Cats takes place in the same universe as Warrior Cats

• Possibly, provided Warrior Cats takes place in the same universe as Tailchaser's Song.

Mistoffelees is genetically a queen

• Seven kittens, remember?
  • This works very well when you consider that his T.S. Eliot poem DOES pretty much demonstrate that "he" is a female cat. He tends to be small and not too masculine looking. With his magic, he could make himself look like a tom if he didn't want the others to know he was really a queen. Until the whole kittens thing, anyway, which makes it more a case of Your Tomcat Is Pregnant.

The Musical Takes Place On...

• October 5th, 1939; the date of the original book was published. Though the musical would have some anachronisms with Tugger's song. Given that it's Andrew Lloyd Webber, it wouldn't be too far-fetched.

Another Theory On The Relations:

• Old D and a former wife are the parents of Tantomille, Coricopat, Exotica and Cassandra.
• When Grizabella and Old D. married, they had Munkustrap and Tugger. Macavity was actually an orphaned/abandoned kitten who was raised by the entire tribe with Deuteronomy being his primary care-giver.
• Old Gus and an unnamed cat had Asparagus and Jellylorum. Later, Aspargus had married another queen with whom he produced Alonzo, Pouncival and Tumblebrutus. As for Jellylorum, she had Demeter, Bombalurina and later Plato/Admetus with Skimbleshanks.
• Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots are siblings with the ladder being the mate of Bustopher Jones. Together, they are the parents of Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, Electra and Etcetera.
• Going back to Macavity, he had married Bustopher's young sister who would bore him Mistofolees and Victoria.
• Munkustrap and Demeter are mates with Jemima being their offspring. Granted, she has red fur like Macavity, but that could be due to inheriting it from her auntie Bomba with Munku carrying the red fur gene somehow.
• Tugger and Bomba are a couple but due to not being ready to settle down, the relationship is also on and off. Think Alvin and Brittany from Alvin and the Chipmunks if you want to get technical.
• Alonzo and Cassandra are in a relationship but are yet to marry. Same could go for Mungojerrie and Tantomile along with Coricopat and Rumpleteazer.
• Plato/Admetus and Victoria start a relationship after the ball.
• Ok, I know I'm just being an outright shipper. But, in the future, the pairings of the younger generation could be this:
  • Tumblebrutus and Electra
  • Pouncival and Etcetera
  • Mistofelees and Jemima

Reasons For Macavity's Villainy

• Perhaps he was abandoned, abused or orphaned as a kitten. And even though the tribe raised him as one of their own, the pain of his Dark and Troubled Past had still haunted him.
• Maybe he had started out as a normal, respectable tom until an accident had left him injured. This would have had him be driven to insanity.
• He was a playboy like Tugger and Alonzo but became obsessed with Demeter. At first, she seemed to have liked him back but once he became more abusive, she found love in Munkustrap. As a result, an envious Macavity had gotten more insane.
• Macavity had pulled a Faust and made himself an aluminous of not heaven but of the underworld in order to gain immense powers and get away with everything.
• Or he could just be the long-lost son of Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell (if he was real, of course).

Grizabella, Demeter and Macavity

• Judging by how Demeter would recoil when near Grizabella in the 1998 video, there may have been some history between the two. The Glamour Cat could've been her mother who abandoned her when only a kitten. Yet, another theory could be that Grizabella had something to do with Macavity. Mac and Dem's relationship may have already been in trouble. Thus, Macavity wanted vengeance or to harm her in some way. Yet, Demeter would gradually avoid him thanks to being with Munkustrap and Bombalurina more. So, Macavity would turn to Grizabella as she and Dem were close. But Grizabella ad found herself stuck; she wanted to see the world but knew she needed money to provide for herself. As a result, she would betray poor Demeter for all the riches the criminal cat would steal. Grizabella lured an unsuspecting Demeter into some place quiet and void of witnesses. There, the ginger cat would meet them, pay Grizabella upfront and do what he pleases with Dem. After the incident, the tribe had soon found out but didn't blame old Griz, at first. After all, she didn't know Mac's intentions. But, confronted, Grizabella played dumb. Tension grew until a fight broke out ending with Grizabella leaving. Foolishly thinking that she was free and would never see that tribe again. All while Demeter was injured and mentally scared.

Jellicle Cats Have Mates For Life

• Granted, they're more lenient with relations than humans are since actual cats are known to Really Get Around. However, the Jellicles would marry and have a mate for life. It's even stated that Old D. had many wives in his many lives. It would not be too farfetched in all honesty.