Headscratchers / Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats

• Why, oh why couldn't there have been an episode with Heathcliff and Riff Raff meeting one another? The end credits gag was such a tease!
  • Because, as good as that sounds, this world has had enough crossovers already.
  • I think part of the problem may be that both are 'alpha cats': they both enjoy being the guy in charge, the one everyone else is supposed to respect/fear. Put the two together, and they'd naturally butt heads — which raises the question of who should win? While the show was named after Heathcliff, Riff and his gang were the Ensemble Darkhorses. Having Heathcliff win would upset their fans, while having Riff Raff win probably wouldn't go over well with the execs. And an Evasive Fight-Thread Episode would feel like a major cop-out to anyone looking forward to the obvious clash... Then there's the fact that such a crossover would only make the contrast between Sonja and Cleo more glaring... Having Hector, Wordsworth and Mungo appear in Heathcliff's side of the show didn't cause as many problems because they were lower on the totem pole already; they weren't a major threat to Heathcliff's position. Even if Hector wanted to be.
    • Fanfic writers! To your computers!
  • According to these insiders who wrote a book about the DiC company, Riff Raff wasn't allowed to appear in any Heathcliff episodes because DiC was trying to create a character that would be their own Heathcliff or Garfield, and there was some concern that if Riff Raff interacted with Heathcliff in any way, the McNaught company (owners of Heathcliff) would want ownership of him, so they kept both characters distanced from each other (save for the end credits gag). No explanation for why Hector, Wordsworth, and Mungo were allowed to appear in Heathcliff episodes though.
    • Well, now the DiC series can be considered canon as Riff Raff, Mongo, Cleo, and Hector have now appeared in a Heathcliff comic. They meet in the city dump, and one trash man comments, "It's where old friends get together."
  • Since it's been revealed that Season 2 was cut short, maybe they did plan on doing an episode where Heathcliff and Riff Raff meet, but just didn't get the chance to.
• Anyone find it odd that he calls himself Riff Raff, but he was pretty much the cool guy of the gang? He was basically the Fonz with comic relief friends. Doesn't riff raff mean low life?
  • Because Riff-Raff is still a homeless, low class tomcat. It doesn't matter if he's supposed to be the cool guy.
• How is Wordsworth The Smart Guy?
  • Because you need a lot of intellect to rhyme on a dime, all of the time. Besides, he's named after Wordsworth the poet.
  • There were also a few episodes where he seemed to be the inventor or mechanic of the group.
• What's up with Hector trying to romance Cleo in the end credits? Even as a kid, I find it awkward since he and Riff Raff are pals. It's probably meant to be funny, but it feels wrong on many levels.
  • Hector is trying to become the boss, and that means getting the boss' girl.
  • As the intro lyrics say "there's a race to be on top/the competition doesn't stop/mixing with the ladies fair/being charming, debonair"
• Why are Hector, Wordsworth, and Mungo bad guys in the Heathcliff episodes, but are anti-heroes in the Riff Raff episodes?
  • They serve as the plot demands.
• The creators initially couldn't call the 2nd segment "Cadillac Cats" (later "Catillac Cats") because DIC was afraid of a lawsuit from the Cadillac car company, so it was given the title "Cats & Co." But, why that title exactly? As one person on Youtube commented, it's such a generic title, it sounds more like the name of a pet store. Why not "Riff Raff's Gang"? Or "The Junkyard Cats"? ^note Which they actually go by in the episode "The Big Swipe".

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