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1'''Basic Trope''': Cats are [[CatStereotype typically presented as evil or mean,]] especially compared to [[HeroicCaninesVillainousFelines dogs]].
2* '''Straight''': [[SmugSnake Sneaky, manipulative but flawed]] Alex the Cat constantly causes trouble to the [[IdiotHero simple-minded]] [[DogsAreDumb Bob the Dog]] for [[ForTheEvulz no apparent reason]].
3* '''Exaggerated''':
4** Alex the Cat always pick fights with [[YouDirtyRat rats]], [[BewareOfViciousDog dogs]] and ''other'' ''[[BoomerangBigot cats]]'', to the point even [[WouldHurtAChild kittens are victims of this.]]
5** Alex the cat is [[DemonicPossession possessed]] by the Devil.
6** The author portrays cats as AlwaysChaoticEvil.
7** The cats start a program whereby mice are systematically tortured and enslaved.
8** Alternatively: the author combines this with GodwinsLaw and [[ComicBook/{{Maus}} portrays cats as Nazis]].
9** Alex the Cat is a [[CompleteMonster profoundly wicked]] alley cat who torments and kills dozens of smaller animals (and even ''his previous owner'') out of sheer sadism.
10* '''Downplayed''':
11** Alex is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, if not outright mean-spirited.
12** CatsAreSnarkers
13** While cats may be mean they tend towards more GoodIsNotNice or SugarAndIcePersonality.
14* '''Justified''':
15** Alex is just misunderstood: he does like Bob, but gets unpleasant when his private sphere is invaded, which Bob does all the time.
16** Alex was raised as an [[OnlyChildSyndrome Only Pet]], causing him to be very territorial as he is not used to sharing.
17** Alex is afraid of dogs. So he tries to be mean and show him whose boss in order to intimidate him.
18** Alex has suffered from [[IncompletelyTrained bad training]] or [[TheMentallyDisturbed mental illness]], thus he's socially impaired even with other cats.
19** Alex has been abused or neglected by his owner.
20* '''Inverted''':
21** Cats are universally presented as caring and understanding animals, while dogs are [[{{Jerkass}} generally annoying, territorial, short-tempered, domineering, overbearing, and noisy]].
22** Even better: Cats being portrayed as [[ButtMonkey victims]] towards meanies or Alex the Cat is the [[BuffoonishTomCat naive,]] [[KindheartedSimpleton simpleminded character]] that is [[SuperGullible prone to being the]] [[{{Pun}} cat's-paw]] [[ManipulativeBastard to Bob]] since [[InvertedTrope Bob is now the sneaky, manipulative dog]].
23* '''Subverted''': All cats Charlie the Pet Owner has previously owned have been nasty to him, but Doris the Cat turns out to be a peaceful and loving creature.
24* '''Double Subverted''': ...until he also gets himself a dog, he was failing to notice that THIS was what pissed all his previous cats off.
25* '''Parodied''': Alex constantly tries to tick off Bob, but he is [[KindheartedSimpleton so naive and simple-minded]] that he thinks Alex just wants to be friends.
26* '''Zig Zagged''': Cats seem to have {{Tsundere}} as a species trait.
27* '''Averted''': Cats are not depicted as any nastier and meaner than any other animals at all. They are instead considered to be kindly, good-natured, kindhearted, and very friendly creatures, or even as kindly as much as dogs would be as well.
28* '''Enforced''':
29** [[ExecutiveMeddling The producer]] is a dog owner, so he forced the writers to give all heroic roles to dogs, whereas cats were given all the evil roles.
30** The protagonists are mice, so the creator makes the villain a cat "because it's what people expect."
31* '''Lampshaded''': "Who cares that I am being nasty to everyone 90% of the time if I can cure headaches by purring?"
32* '''Invoked''': Alex is generally a nice kitty, but he deliberately acts up because Charlie doesn't pay attention to him.
33* '''Exploited''': The hero uses his pet cat to scare the [[AbsurdPhobia ailurophobic]] [[note]]cat-fearing [[/note]] {{mooks}} that have held him captive.
34* '''Defied''':
35** "Stop insulting me already - please. Cats are not universally evil, why do you even think that?!"
36** A cat with a HairTriggerTemper tries to gain control over its anger issues and become a better person.
37* '''Discussed''': "I dislike cats, they're all mean." "What will you say next - that AllGermansAreNazis?"
38* '''Conversed''': "That's one of those shows written by people who never owned a cat."
39* '''Implied''': Alex the Cat is [[TheGhost unseen]].
40* '''Deconstructed''':
41** Because of the basic assumption that CatsAreMean, nobody wants them as pets and the poor things die in scores during winter. And in the summer, all supplies in town are destroyed by vermin. {{Nice job breaking it|Hero}}, [[FantasticRacism racists]].
42** Alternatively: cats are mean to everyone [[ThenLetMeBeEvil precisely because of constant persecution.]] Everyone is mean to ''them'', they are merely defending themselves. If only there was [[KidHero someone]] in the world who'd like to be their [[KindheartedCatLover friend]]...
43* '''Reconstructed''':
44** Alex the Cat is presented as a MagnificentBastard, who makes up for his nastiness with sheer awesome.
45** Evil isn't mean, and [[GoodIsNotNice mean isn't evil]]. So each and every cat is either AffablyEvil or ChaoticGood, depending on whether he or she really is evil or just a jerk.
46** Alex the Cat is TheHero who is an JerkWithAHeartOfGold and is also very friendly towards other people, animals and cats compared to the obnoxious viilage-idiot of alley-cats he knows who is an [[TheDitz oafish]] cat named Butch who is an InsufferableImbecile.
47* '''Played For Laughs''': Alex the Cat is the UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist.
48* '''Played For Drama''': Alex the Cat is sad, [[TheWoobie because nobody likes him]].
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