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Looney Tunes

Sylvester

Sylvester is a black-and-white cat who spends his career failing to eat a very small yellow bird. Friz Freleng introduced him in Life with Feathers in 1945, and Mel Blanc gave him a wet, spraying lisp and the catchphrase sufferin' succotash.

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Looney TunesDebut 1945animationfilmtelevisioncomics

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First appearance
Life with Feathers (1945), Warner Bros. Cartoons
Created by
Friz Freleng, Mel Blanc
Also known as
Sylvester the Cat, Sylvester J. Pussycat
Universe
Looney Tunes
Appears in
animation, film, television, comics

Who is Sylvester?

Sylvester is a black-and-white cat who spends his career failing to eat a very small yellow bird. Friz Freleng introduced him in Life with Feathers in 1945, and Mel Blanc gave him a wet, spraying lisp and the catchphrase sufferin' succotash. His name is usually traced to Felis silvestris, the scientific name of the wild cat. Freleng paired him with Tweety in Tweetie Pie in 1947, which won Warner Bros. its first Academy Award for an animated short, and Sylvester went on to appear in two more Oscar winners, Speedy Gonzales in 1955 and Birds Anonymous in 1957. The comedy depends on him being competent everywhere except against the one opponent he cannot resist.

Sylvester: the details

First appearance
Life with Feathers, 1945
Created by
Friz Freleng
Voiced by
Mel Blanc, with the famous lisp
Name
Usually traced to Felis silvestris, the wild cat
First Warner Oscar
Tweetie Pie, 1947, won Best Short Subject (Cartoons)
Three Oscar winners
Tweetie Pie (1947), Speedy Gonzales (1955) and Birds Anonymous (1957)

Why Sylvester endures

The losing half of Warner's first Oscar-winning partnership, and a cat who appeared in three Academy Award winners.

What Sylvester looks like on a shirt

Signature motif: Black-and-white cat with a red nose, usually with Tweety

Black and white with a red nose works on almost any fabric colour. The Sylvester-and-Tweety pairing is the classic design.

Pairs with Tweety for couples and siblings. Classic poses suit all ages; vintage title-card designs suit adults.

Sylvester T-shirts

See all on Amazon →
Popfunk Official Looney Tunes Sylvester The Cat Sufferin' Succotash Adult Unisex Classic Ring-Spun T-Shirt (Medium)
Popfunk
Popfunk Official Looney Tunes Sylvester The Cat Sufferin' Succotash Adult Unisex Classic Ring-Spun T-Shirt (Medium)
$15.99on amazon.com · Sep 16, 2026
Check sizes and price on Amazon

Buying from outside the United States? Prices shown are amazon.com in US dollars. Links redirect international readers to their local Amazon, where pricing, sizing and availability are shown in local terms.

Price and availability are taken from Amazon at the time shown and can change. The price on Amazon at the time of purchase applies.

Sizes: kids to adult

These links run a live Amazon search for Sylvester shirts in each US size band. Amazon shows what is currently listed; availability in a particular size is confirmed on the product page, not here.

BandAgesUS sizesSearch
Toddler 2–4 years 2T, 3T, 4T Search toddler sizes
Kids 4–7 years XS (4/5), S (6/7) Search kids sizes
Youth 8–14 years M (8), L (10/12), XL (14/16) Search youth sizes
Adult 15+ S–3XL Search adult sizes

US sizing shown. Cut and measurement vary between brands — see the size guide before ordering, especially for youth sizes. Base search: Sylvester the Cat t-shirt.

Who has played Sylvester

PerformerProductionYearType
Mel BlancTweetie Pie1947Voice

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Sylvester T-shirts: common questions

Who created Sylvester?

Sylvester was created by Friz Freleng and Mel Blanc, first appearing in Life with Feathers in 1945 (Warner Bros. Cartoons).

What does a Sylvester T-shirt usually look like?

Black-and-white cat with a red nose, usually with Tweety. Pairs with Tweety for couples and siblings. Classic poses suit all ages; vintage title-card designs suit adults.

Are Sylvester T-shirts made for children?

Yes — Sylvester appears on our kids pages, and shirts are commonly made from US toddler 2T up through youth XL.

Who has played Sylvester?

Sylvester has been voiced by Mel Blanc (Tweetie Pie, 1947).

How much does a Sylvester T-shirt cost?

Sylvester shirts we currently track start from around $15.99 on amazon.com. Every price on this page is dated, because they move.

This profile was compiled from published reference material about Sylvester — first appearance, creator credits and production history — and is a secondary source rather than a substitute for the original publication. Where a detail could not be corroborated it has been left out. We do not physically test garments; see how we work for what that means and what it does not.

Reference. This profile was compiled from published sources. For the character's full publication history see Wikipedia (Wikidata Q10990037). Our method and limitations are stated in full.

CharacterTshirts.com is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or connected to any character rights holder, publisher, studio or network named on this site. All character names and titles are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to identify the products described.