History WesternAnimation / CatBurglar

** One of the books Peanut is reading while in the security station is ''Literature/OldYeller''; he asks the audience not to spoil the ending.

The premise is simple. Rowdy, a cat who is also a burglar (get it?), seeks to break into a local museum to steal an impossibly valuable painting. Problem is, he doesn’t have the best luck and he’s down to a third of his nine lives after a string of comical misfortunes. Now the viewer must help him get past security, including inept guard dog Peanut, by correctly answering a series of trivia questions requiring a keen mind and quick reflexes.

** Peanut informs the viewer at the start that this is an interactive short, encouraging them to have the remote, controller, phone or mouse ready when the questions pop up.
** After losing the first of his three remaining lives, Rowdy reminds the viewer that ''they'' are in charge of continuing the plot by answering questions correctly and, thus, keeping him alive.

* LogoJoke: The opening of the cartoon spoofs the title card for vintage MGM cartoons. It reads "A Cut-Rate Pictures Flixtoon: Technically in Color", over a parody of the MGM logo, with an elephant instead of Leo the Lion and the motto "Logo Spoofis Parodus".

* {{McGuffin}}: The Priceless Painting at the museum is the central plot point of this short. Peanut has to guard it overnight to keep his job, while Rowdy wants to steal it and strike it rich.

* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: The default clothing mode for both main characters. Rowdy wears a black knit cap and turtleneck sweater, Peanut wears a security guard outfit but neither of them wear pants or shoes.

* DogsAreDumb:
** Peanut isn’t the sharpest tooth in the dog's mouth. Whether that’s gonna keep him from stopping Rowdy is up to you.
* TheDogBitesBack: Not just Peanut (obviously), but also the squirrel Rowdy tormented in the opening gets his revenge in one of the game over sequences.

* DogsAreDumb: Peanut isn’t the sharpest tooth in the dog's mouth. Whether that’s gonna keep him from stopping Rowdy is up to you.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: One of the ancient antiquities segments has Rowdy disguised as "Cleocatra" to distract Peanut, much like WesternAnimation/BugsBunny has done many, many times. [[GoneHorriblyRight It works a little ''too'' well, much to Rowdy's disgust]].

The premise is simple. A cat (Rowdy) who is also a burglar (get it?) seeks to break into a local museum to steal an impossibly valuable painting. Problem is, he doesn’t have the best luck and he’s down to a third of his nine lives after a string of comical misfortunes. Now the viewer must help him get past security, including inept guard dog Peanut, by correctly answering a series of trivia questions requiring a keen mind and quick reflexes.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: One of the ancient antiquities segments has Rowdy disguised as "Cleocatra" to distract Peanut, much like Bugs Bunny has done many, many times. [[GoneHorriblyRight It works a little ''too'' well, much to Rowdy's disgust]].

* TheVoiceless: Played with Rowdy. While he never speaks when he's alive, when Rowdy dies his soul is very talkative.

* Main/TheVoiceless: Played with Rowdy. While he never speaks when he's alive, when Rowdy dies his soul is very talkative.

* HardTruthAesop: LifeIsntFair, and sometimes a bit of bad luck can screw up even the most foolproof plan. Peanut is just doing his job by stopping a thief, at the threat of going back to the pound and becoming a stray again. Yet to "win," you have to let Rowdy skewer Peanut in a variety of ways.

* {{Gasshole}}: One of the bad endings has Peanut eating a sandwich with Rowdy's meat in it, then proceeding to fart out Rowdy's final life.

* WingedSoulFliesOffAtDeath: Each time Rowdy loses a life, his spirit ascends skyward, complete with wings, halo, and angelic harp music. If you cost him his first (read: third) life, he will briefly stop mid-air to [[AddressingThePlayer remind you]] that his remaining lives are in your hands.

--> '''Rowdy:''' "Well, there's a reason they don't call me ''lucky'' cat..."

* FailureMontage: After losing your first life, Rowdy will display one of his past attempts at crime to explain why you’re only getting three lives instead of a cartoon cat's usual nine.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Subverted. In the behind-the-scenes interview with Peanut and Rowdy, Peanut claims that he and Rowdy are great friends off-camera, and Rowdy isn't that bad. Rowdy proceeds to steal his money and put a mousetrap in Peanut's wallet.

* MultipleEndings: For both victories and defeats.

* ThrowTheDogABone: In one of the endings after losing all three lives, GOD, of all people, allows Rowdy, and the viewer by extension, to retry the short and reach the true ending by stealing the painting.

* VillainProtagonist: Rowdy is squarely this role, as his primary objective is nabbing a priceless painting for his own gains.

* CatsHaveNineLives: Surprisingly subverted for a classic-style cartoon. Rowdy ''used'' to have nine lives, but he only has three at the start of this short. After you lose your first life, his spirit will explain that he’s lost the other six to bad luck.

** In one success ending, Rowdy removes his fur to get away from Peanut and the mummy he attached to his tail. In embarrassment, he pulls aside a clothing rack filled with {{Lawyer Friendly Cameo}}s of many of Creator/TexAvery's characters, including the aforementioned Butch, and the Wolf from ''WesternAnimation/RedHotRidingHood''.

** Peanut informs the viewer at the start that this is an interactive short, encouraging them to have the remote, controller or mouse ready when the questions pop up.

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* BlackComedy: Rowdy's deaths are pretty brutal, and HILARIOUS!

* VillainProtagonist: Rowdy is squarely this role, as his primary objective is nabbing a priceless painting for his own gains.

** Peanut informs the viewer at the start that this is an interactive short, encouraging them to have the remote or controller ready when the questions pop up.

** One of Rowdy's deaths ends up with his skin hanging on a wire. Also on the wire is a skin that's a dead ringer to ''WesternAnimation/ScrewballSquirrel''.

** After losing his first of his three remaining lives, Rowdy reminds the viewer that ''they'' are in charge of continuing the plot by answering questions correctly and, thus, keeping him alive.