The Mouse and Felix is a 1960 Felix the Cat cartoon and the 34th episode of the Felix the Cat (Joe Oriolo) series.
Felix is spending the day at his house, watching his own TV show. Just then, Felix sees a piece of cheese soaring across the floor and into a mousehole. Felix is initially annoyed by this new resident, but he decides to live and let live—until the mouse steals a whole chicken. After seeing the mouse has made his mousehole a part of an even bigger one, Felix decides to check the fridge to see how the mouse got in there, and he finds out the mouse created an opening on the side. Felix decides to put a stop to the mouse's antics, but gets socked in the face by the mouse throwing a wishbone (and then a watermelon) at him. Felix nails a board in front of the mousehold, but the mouse immediately saws another hole in the wall. Felix paces around, thinking of how to defeat the mouse but knowing he's in hot water—and right there, he gets the idea to use a hose and flush out the mouse. The hose gets a bubble stuck in it, but Felix forces it into the mouse and goes to rest on his chair—until he sees water pouring out of the walls, which quickly floods the room, pushing Felix up to the ceiling.
The door to his house gives out and drains the building. Deducing that it didn't work, Felix goes to his bookshelf and finds a book with a section on how to get rid of mice. It suggests flushing like Felix just did, but then suggests using Cool Jazz as an alternative. Felix plays a trumpet near the mousehole, but the mouse snatches it and plays it at Felix so hard that it breaks. The mouse then raids Felix's fridge for ice cream and pickles. Felix tries to reach inside the hole, but his hand springs a mousetrap. Felix gets fed up and grabs a baseball bat to try and attack the mouse. The mouse throws a baseball in the air, and Felix swings at it, breaking his window. The mouse then steals a jug of Felix's milk. Felix gets worried that he'll be cleaned out by the mouse, but that gives him the idea of using a vacuum cleaner. Felix sucks it up, but only gets a baby bottle. However, Felix takes notice that the nipple is designed for seven babies. Felix uses the vacuum again, and gets the mouses tail—which has baby clothes on it. Felix realizes the mouse has a family and lets the tail go. Letting bygones be bygones, Felix builds a nice entrance for the mousehold, complete with red carpet, and leaves food out for them. Felix winks to the camera as the film irises out—only for two little hands to stop it, and it irises back in as the mouse finally reveals himself to the audience and winks at them. Felix laughs as the cartoon fades out.
Tropes:
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: The mouse stops the cartoon from doing an Iris Out just so the audience can get one little glimpse of him at the end.
- The Determinator: The Mouse goes out of his way to thwart every single attempt Felix makes to trap him or drive him out of the house. Of course, he's just doing it to feed his kids.
- D.I.Y. Disaster: Felix unwittingly floods his house as a result of trying to flush the mouse out of his walls.
- Easily Forgiven: Once Felix finds out why the mouse stealing all of his food (to feed his children), Felix eases up on him and allows him and his family to stay, even sharing his food with them and making them feel at home.
- Good Parents: Its shown near the end that the mouse cares for his kids and goes out of his way to make sure they're well fed and cared for.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: The mouse wears pants, but no shoes or shirt.
- Iris Out: Played with; the film almost does a straight iris out, but the mouse stops it and lets it open up long enough for it to wink at the audience before it closes.
- Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: The Mouse spends the whole episode stealing all of Felix's food and thwarting every attempt the cat makes to stop him or drive him out of the house, but it turns out that he's just doing it to feed his children.
- No Name Given: The mouse Felix encounters isn't given a name, so Felix just refers to him as a mouse.
- Poor Communication Kills: The whole plot is kicked into action because the mouse feels the need to steal Felix's food instead of trying to explain or show him that he's just trying to care for his family. Egregious because as soon as Felix discovers the mouse has kids, he becomes sympathetic to his plight.
- Show Within a Show: Felix is watching an episode of his own TV show at the start of the episode.
- Stock Animal Diet: Felix has a jug of milk in his fridge and is quite upset when the mouse steals it.
- Thinking Tic: Felix does his thinking walk while pondering how to defeat the mouse.
- The Voiceless: The mouse is given no dialogue at all.
- The Unseen: The mouse isn't seen until just near the end of the episode.
