Delmar, who is himself a black and white cat, sits on my lap as I watch this. Since he is missing most of his tail, he can't quite relate, but I like to think he enjoyed this anyway.
Chuck Jones' reputation among hard-core animation fans has taken a bit of a beating in recent years. One of the chief complaints is that he took characters with already-established personas--Daffy Duck, particularly--and molded them to his own purposes, changing Daffy from a crazy but upbeat character to a world-class neurotic. (Speaking as a world-class neurotic myself, I don't see the problem.)
There is also the charge of excessive cuteness, a self-consciously "artsy" quality, something this particular cartoon does nothing to dispel. On the other hand, it really is cute. Downright adorable, as a matter of fact. I want to give it a big hug, but instead, I'll settle for chuckling warmly as I skritch Delmar's chin. A perfect way to start a day, now that I think of it.
