Cartoon: Feline Follies, 1919, first appearance of Felix the Cat

Feline Follies is a 1919 animated short film, distributed by Paramount Pictures. It marked the first appearance of the character Felix the Cat.

The film was produced by the Pat Sullivan Studio of New York City, owned by Australian animator Pat Sullivan. It is a matter of dispute whether to attribute the film and Felix’s creation to Sullivan himself, or to Otto Messmer, the studio’s lead animator. Messmer’s claim to have been the sole creator of Felix has parallels in animation history. Ub Iwerks claimed that he created Mickey Mouse, instead of studio owner Walt Disney. Grim Natwick claimed that he created Betty Boop, instead of studio owner Max Fleischer.