Claude Cattermole "Catsmeat" Potter-Pirbright is a recurring

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

in the

Jeeves Jeeves (born Reginald Jeeves, nicknamed Reggie) is a fictional character in a series of comedic short stories and novels by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the highly competent valet of a wealthy and idle young Londoner named Bertie W ...

and

Drones Club The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British humorist P. G. Wodehouse. It is a gentlemen's club in London. Many of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members. Various members ...

stories of English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a longtime school friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a member of the Drones Club. A West End actor known as "Claude Cattermole" on stage, he is known to his friends by the nickname "Catsmeat".

Inspiration

The character was inspired by the real life actor and county cricketer,

Basil Foster Basil Samuel Foster (12 February 1882 – 28 September 1959) was an English actor and cricketer who played 34 first-class matches in the early 20th century. He was born in Malvern, Worcestershire, and died in Pield Heath, Hillingdon, Middlesex ...

, who played against Wodehouse in the ''Actors against Authors'' game at

Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...

in 1907 (with Wodehouse playing for the Authors XI). Foster portrayed the hero, George Bevan, in the 1928 New Theatre production of '' A Damsel in Distress'', and also played Psmith in the 1930 Shaftesbury Theatre production of '' Leave It to Psmith''; both productions were adapted by Wodehouse and Ian Hay from novels written by Wodehouse.

Life and character

The son of a theatrical music writer and a New York actress named Elsie Cattermole, Claude Cattermole "Catsmeat" Potter-Pirbright is the brother of actress Cora "Corky" Pirbright, who is also known by her stage name, Cora Starr. Catsmeat is engaged to Gertrude Winkworth, the daughter of Dame Daphne Winkworth. Catsmeat and Bertie Wooster went together to Malvern House Preparatory School, where Catsmeat was described in a report by the headmaster

Aubrey Upjohn The following is a list of recurring and notable fictional characters featured in the Jeeves novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. Anatole Anatole is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves stories, being the supremely skilled F ...

as "brilliant but unsound". He was also with Bertie at

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

, and at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Catsmeat's nickname is probably derived at least in part from the similarity of "Cattermole" to "cat's meat" (meaning meat prepared for cats). Inspired by the successful theatrical careers of his parents and sister, Catsmeat, seeking a profession that would provide him with an income and spare time to play

county cricket Inter-county cricket matches are known to have been played since the early 18th century, involving teams that are representative of the historic counties of England and Wales. Since the late 19th century, there have been two county championship ...

, chose to become an actor after his time at Oxford. He generally performs in comedies, playing the role of the hero's light-hearted friend carrying the second love interest. According to Bertie, Catsmeat is a very lively individual both on and off the stage. His sprightliness is a byword among his friends. Catsmeat is also known for being a fashionable dresser; in ''Uncle Fred in the Springtime'', he is described as a "modern Brummel". Catsmeat is first mentioned in ''

Thank You, Jeeves ''Thank You, Jeeves'' is a Jeeves comic novel by P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 16 March 1934 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on 23 April 1934 by Little, Brown and Company, New York.McIlvaine (19 ...

'', when Bertie, impressed by the effect that Jeeves's eloquence often has on the language of others, recalls a time when Catsmeat came to stay at Bertie's flat for a week, "and the very second day he said something to me about gauging somebody's latent potentialities. And Catsmeat a fellow who had always thought you were kidding him when you assured him that there were words in the language that had more than one syllable." In '' Right Ho, Jeeves'', Bertie remembers an instance when Catsmeat made noise with a police rattle behind Bertie's chair at the Drones, though Bertie actually enjoyed the noise. In '' The Code of the Woosters'', it is mentioned that Catsmeat is among those who attend Gussie Fink-Nottle's pre-wedding dinner at the Drones Club, where Bertie Wooster keeps Catsmeat from giving his imitation of

Beatrice Lillie Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989), known as Bea Lillie, was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedic performer. She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debu ...

. In '' Joy in the Morning'', Catsmeat is responsible for a mix-up involving a "

Borstal A Borstal was a type of youth detention centre in the United Kingdom, several member states of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland. In India, such a detention centre is known as a Borstal school. Borstals were run by HM Prison Service ...

Rovers"

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

outfit he intended to wear to a costume party.Ring & Jaggard (1999), pp. 203–204. His most prominent role is in the Jeeves novel '' The Mating Season'', during which he gets Gussie Fink-Nottle to climb fully clothed into the Trafalgar Square fountain. In that novel, he pretends to be Bertie's valet, calling himself Meadowes, and inadvertently becomes temporarily engaged to Queenie Silversmith. He also appears in "

Jeeves and the Greasy Bird "Jeeves and the Greasy Bird" is a short story by English humorist P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in ''Playboy'' magazine in the United States in December 1965, and i ...

", in which he and Bertie discuss the theatrical agent, Jas Waterbury. Catsmeat collaborates with Barmy Fotheringay-Phipps to write an article titled "Some Little-Known Cocktails" for ''Wee Tots'', a family publication edited by

Bingo Little Richard P. "Bingo" Little is a recurring fictional character in the comedic Jeeves and Drones Club stories of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a friend of Jeeves's master Bertie Wooster and a member of the Drones Club. In his early appear ...

, and they present it to Bingo in "

The Shadow Passes ''Nothing Serious'' is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 21 July 1950 by Herbert Jenkins Ltd, Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on 24 May 1951 by Doubleday (pub ...

". Ultimately, Catsmeat plans to go to Hollywood.

Appearances

Catsmeat is featured in: *''

Lord Emsworth and Others ''Lord Emsworth and Others'' is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 19 March 1937 by Herbert Jenkins, London; it was not published in the United States.McIlvaine, E., Sherby, L.S. and H ...

'' (1937) ** "

The Masked Troubadour ''Lord Emsworth and Others'' is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 19 March 1937 by Herbert Jenkins, London; it was not published in the United States.McIlvaine, E., Sherby, L.S. and H ...

" (1936) – Drone Freddie Widgeon *'' The Mating Season'' (1949) – Jeeves *'' Nothing Serious'' (1950) ** "

" (1950) – Drone Bingo Little * ''

Plum Pie ''Plum Pie'' is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 22 September 1966 by Barrie & Jenkins (under the Herbert Jenkins Ltd, Herbert Jenkins imprint), and in the United States on 1 Decembe ...

'' (1966) ** "

Stylish Stouts ''Plum Pie'' is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 22 September 1966 by Barrie & Jenkins (under the Herbert Jenkins imprint), and in the United States on 1 December 1967 by Simon & S ...

" (1965) – Drone Bingo Little ** "

" (1965) – Jeeves Catsmeat is mentioned in: * ''

'' (1934) – Jeeves * '' Right Ho, Jeeves'' (1934) – Jeeves * ''

The Luck of the Bodkins ''The Luck of the Bodkins'' is a novel by P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 11 October 1935 by Herbert Jenkins, and in the United States on 3 January 1936 by Little, Brown and Company.McIlvaine (1990), pp. 69–70, A54. ...

'' (1935) – Drone Monty Bodkin * '' The Code of the Woosters'' (1938) – Jeeves * ''

Uncle Fred in the Springtime ''Uncle Fred in the Springtime'' is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 18 August 1939 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 25 August 1939 by Herbert Jenkins, London.McIlvaine (1990), p. 7 ...

'' (1939) – Blandings * '' Joy in the Morning'' (1946) – Jeeves * ''

A Few Quick Ones ''A Few Quick Ones'' is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United States on 13 April 1959 by Simon & Schuster, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1959 by Herbert Jenkins, London. The ...

'' (1959) **"

Oofy, Freddie and the Beef Trust ''A Few Quick Ones'' is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United States on 13 April 1959 by Simon & Schuster, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1959 by Herbert Jenkins, London. The ...

" (1949, first published as "Freddie, Oofy and the Beef Trust") – Drone Freddie Widgeon **" The Fat of the Land" (1958) – Drone Freddie Widgeon * '' Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit'' (1954) – Jeeves * ''

Jeeves in the Offing ''Jeeves in the Offing'' is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 4 April 1960 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under the title ''How Right You Are, Jeeves'', and in the United Kingdom on 12 August 1960 by ...

'' (1960) – Jeeves * '' Much Obliged, Jeeves'' (1971) – Jeeves * '' Aunts Aren't Gentlemen'' (1974) – Jeeves (ch. 14)

Adaptations

; Television *

John Elmes John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

portrayed Catsmeat in the 1990–1993 television series '' Jeeves and Wooster'' in series 3, episode 4. ; Radio *

Kenneth Fortescue Kenneth is an English given name and surname. The name is an Anglicised form of two entirely different Gaelic personal names: ''Cainnech'' and '' Cináed''. The modern Gaelic form of ''Cainnech'' is ''Coinneach''; the name was derived from a byna ...

voiced Catsmeat in an adaptation of ''The Mating Season'' in the 1973–1981 series, ''

What Ho! Jeeves ''What Ho! Jeeves'' (sometimes written ''What Ho, Jeeves!'') is a series of radio dramas based on some of the Jeeves short stories and novels written by P. G. Wodehouse, starring Michael Hordern as the titular Jeeves and Richard Briers as Berti ...

''.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * * * * *

External links