#The Old Gumbie Cat

[adventuresofalgy]

The weather in the wild west Highlands of Scotland is capricious, and very often changes rapidly. So Algy was not altogether surprised when a dreary grey day was followed by one of glorious sunshine, and he was delighted to see that at last the February sun was strong enough to persuade the crocuses to open their flowers and smile at him.

Although it did not get as cold around Algy's home as it did in many of the places where his friends lived, the winter was nevertheless horribly long and dreary… and decidedly limiting… and like many other folk, Algy was now longing for warmer days when he would be able to get out and about adventuring again.

But despite the sunshine, the temperature was still very low, and the weather unreliable, so Algy satisfied himself for the moment by selecting a particularly sunny spot beside some of the beautiful, glowing crocuses, and indulging in some light and entertaining reading, which he dedicates especially to those of his friends who keep cats 🐈😀

I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots; Her coat is of the tabby kind, with tiger stripes and leopard spots. All day she sits upon the stair or on the steps or on the mat; She sits and sits and sits and sits—and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat! But when the day's hustle and bustle is done, Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun. And when all the family's in bed and asleep, She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep. She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice— Their behaviour's not good and their manners not nice; So when she has got them lined up on the matting, She teachs them music, crocheting and tatting. I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots; Her equal would be hard to find, she likes the warm and sunny spots. All day she sits beside the hearth or on the bed or on my hat: She sits and sits and sits and sits—and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat! But when the day's hustle and bustle is done, Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun. As she finds that the mice will not ever keep quiet, She is sure it is due to irregular diet; And believing that nothing is done without trying, She sets right to work with her baking and frying. She makes them a mouse—cake of bread and dried peas, And a beautiful fry of lean bacon and cheese. I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots; The curtain-cord she likes to wind, and tie it into sailor-knots. She sits upon the window-sill, or anything that's smooth and flat: She sits and sits and sits and sits—and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat! But when the day's hustle and bustle is done, Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun. She thinks that the cockroaches just need employment To prevent them from idle and wanton destroyment. So she's formed, from that lot of disorderly louts, A troop of well-disciplined helpful boy-scouts, With a purpose in life and a good deed to do— And she's even created a Beetles' Tattoo. So for Old Gumbie Cats let us now give three cheers— On whom well-ordered households depend, it appears.

[Algy is reading the poem The Old Gumbie Cat from the collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by the 20th century English poet T S Eliot.]

[clovenhoofedjester]

three cheers, three cheers, three cheers! 🎉🎊

[painted-lemon]

Jenny 💖🐁🪲

it's not my best work. I might redo it SpeedPaint below 👇

[cameronmitchelljohn]

HELLO CATS TUMBLR! have a gumbie cat sketch or two

[itsmyregularcat]

Visited New York City for the first time last week, so I took the opportunity to visit the Museum Of Broadway because I only wanted to see the Cats display items and literally nothing else.

If anyone is interested, this is what they had for Cats. Two super cool costume pieces from the long running and record breaking production from the Winter Garden, plus a few other items.

First off, an elaborate Siamese costume in all its bright blue eyed glory:

A few framed display items, including an early playbill and six character designs.

Secondly, an absolutely stunning complete Gumbie Tap costume worn by Anna McNeely, originator of Jennyanydots on Broadway.

While both of those costumes were amazing, and I could have stared at them for hours, it was really disappointing to see the museum have so little Cats content given the shows significance to theaters in not only NYC, but in North America as a whole.

The Siamese was relegated to a corner of a non-related room, and the Tap costume was amongst a line-up of other (I believe, Phantom Of The Opera) costumes. I do understand that there is a section encompassing Andrew Lloyd Webber's impact on Broadway, which had a sizable PoTO representation and some pieces from Evita, Starlight Express, and Sunset Boulevard with some other stuff from that time period mixed in, but it was a bit of a letdown.

It is very possible that the MoB could not source more pieces, which if in that case, it is all fair. However, it is tiring to always see Cats made out to be some sort of unimportant or regrettable musical, and even the way the two costumes were shown reflected that. They could have easily had their day in the sun together with an expanded corner of all Cats stuff together, but maybe I am being pompous. Though, being a patron in the museum and hearing all the utter disgust and derision in the looks and voices of others seeing the Cats stuff reinforced the hatred theatre wankers have over the singing and dancing kitties. Plus, maybe just maybe, I verbally pushed back against someone shitting on Cats while I was admiring the Siamese, and let me tell you, he did not expect that at all.

If anyone has any questions about the museum, let me know. I took pictures of every room and every display item (not to the same caliber of the Cats stuff, but still). It was a very nice place with lots of pieces and history, and if I actually cared about any other musical, it would have been like visiting the Heavisde Layer itself. The Siamese and Gumbie Tap costumes were damn cool though.

[hildegard-the-poetry-cat]

The instrumental at the end of the 1981 version of the old gumbie cat. You agree. Reblog

[inbarfink]

[finleyforevermore]

Because I decided to re-listen to some Cats songs on a whim today (and promptly remembered just how hard the songs slap), have a Cats headcanon! ^^

A lot of people headcanon that when Quaxo stands at the start of "The Old Gumbie Cat" and Munkustrap looks at him all confused, prompting Quaxo to sit back down, that Quaxo initially thought Munkustrap was about to sing about HIM. And that's a fun headcanon, of course, believe whatever ya want! I just imagined something different myself!

See, in the original London production of Cats, TOGC used to be sang by Quaxo; then, when the show transferred to Broadway, Munkustrap sang it instead, and he's sung it ever since then!

I like to imagine that Quaxo and Munkustrap trade off the song every year, and Quaxo lost track of who was singing this year, hence him standing up at the start :]

(Still holding out hope that a production will have them sing it together one day ^^)

[jelliclewhiskers]

Mr. Mistoffelees

I am not putting up with finding eating utensils in the front yard and cleaning them only to watch them reappear outside the next day. I'm too specific about my forks and spoons, and know that he'd move onto forks after getting all the spoons.

Skimbleshanks

I don't think I am cut out for any job on a train. That'd not only require me to move somewhere where trains are more common, but also I'd need more practice. I wouldn't just take a cat from his train if he's happy there.

Munkustrap

He would be awesome and probably the least of my worries. I know he'd more than likely be outside all of the time, though, so I would own another cat that stays indoors at least more often for my own company.

Rum Tum Tugger

Hell no fuck that

Grizabella

Reminds me of a cat my mother owned and then I knew when I was younger. I would be sad when she up and disappears forever after letting her out one night, but otherwise she seems to make a loving cat. Just have to get along and not push her nerves. She'll come back home scratched up from fights often (especially in her youth), I'd imagine.

Macavity

No. He'd either be an awful cat to deal with or intentionally manipulate his owner to get out of trouble and secure a stable source of food/shelter.

Jennyanydots

Would make a good cat but I'm always up at night and so her plans would either have to be done with me aware of them, or else at exceptionally weird hours. Or in another room but very quietly, and not too quietly to make me worried either.

Bustopher Jones

Definitely a cat that's mostly outdoors and always getting fed, but I'd still feed him. The second I notice joint pain or anything else he's going on a diet, though. Being overweight for cats IRL comes with different complications.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

Hell no. Unless they bring the loot back to me rather than to a secret stash I don't know about. Like that one cat who would steal neighbors' socks and their owner found an actual pile of them after everyone had almost none left (search this).

Old Deuteronomy

Yes. Good cat, whimisical, how has he been living for this long????? How old is he, even?? The vets are mystified and I keep taking him in out of worry despite nothing being wrong. Probably inside a lot more (by choice) than the other cats would be since going out just once (for the Jellicle Ball) is already dangerous. Him going missing for a night would make me think he's hiding and likely dead. Would get a lot of strange cat visitors while housing him and would probably try to pet them.

Gus

Yes. Would pass away within some years, but senior cats can be especially kind and deserve care too. Would cherish my time with him and try to provide the necessary accommodations. Would try to keep him inside as much as possible and get insanely stressed out thinking he's hidden away and died when the Jellicle Ball starts.

Demeter and Bombalurina

They're probably more reserved? Maybe Demeter is more friendly but Bombalurina would probably require more patience/space IMO. They're definitely indoor/outdoor cats and I'm scared of getting them spaid but also scared of them getting pregnant. Somehow they never do, though, so I'm less worried after about a year of their adulthood.

[none-ofthisnonsense]

I can't hum "For she's a jolly good fellow" without adding Jennyanydots' "Thank you my dears" anymore

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

I love this stupid little musical 🙂‍↕️ (from the Cats (1998) Musical btw)

My fav cat is Rum Tum Tugger :D

[themostimportantnight]

Watching Cats (1998) with my bud, JENNYANYDOTS IS SUCH AN EFFING CUTIE PATOOTIE. WHEN SHE PICKS THE FLUFF OFF OF MUNKUSTRAP AND ALMOST FALLS OVER WHILE WATCHING IT FLOAT AROUND?? WHEN SHE FLATLINES WHILE MUNKUSTRAP PETS HER??? WHEN SHE WALKS AROUND ALL BOUNCY-LIKE???? HER LITTLE “Thank you, my dears”?????? SHE IS SO GRATEFUL FOR THE REST OF THE JELLICLES. SHE IS SO SWEET.

[catsamongthestars]

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

more from cats vienna 1983 <3 another one of my favorite productions ! i loove the colors of the photographs.

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[mochatears]

If you’ve seen any pictures from the 87 Stockholm production, it’s probably these of Rum Tum Tugger, Bustopher Jones, and Old Gumbie Cat. But I thought I’d post them anyway, in potentially better quality!

[jennyanypenny]

Shout out to the Munkustrap actress omggg !! She was wonderful, really captured the cat stare 👁👁

[painted-lemon]

Stuck at ✨Bible camp✨ during pride month

Anyway I'm currently working on Jenny Annydots