Character Relationship Map: Pet Peeve

Characters

• George (voice) (uncredited) (played by Daws Butler) — protagonist

  George is one half of the couple at the center of the story. Together with Joan, George reviews the household bills, debates whether to keep the cat or dog, turns the pets' usefulness into a mouse-cat...

• Joan (voice) (uncredited) (played by June Foray) — supporting

  Joan is the other half of the couple whose financial concerns drive the plot. With George, Joan argues over the costs of feeding the pets, watches the cat-and-dog contest, rejects the outcome when nei...

• Tom (voice) (uncredited) (played by William Hanna) — supporting

  Tom is the cat living with George and Joan. During their argument about which pet should remain, Tom is defended as a source of companionship and is tested against the dog in a contest to catch a mous...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Joan (voice) (uncredited) → Tom (voice) (uncredited) (Professional Owner) — Human owner responsible for the pet's care and survival.
• George (voice) (uncredited) → Tom (voice) (uncredited) (Professional Owner) — Human owner responsible for the pet's care and survival.
• George (voice) (uncredited) → Joan (voice) (uncredited) (Family Spouse) — Married owners making a joint household decision.

Story Analysis

A household attempt to reduce pet expenses escalates into an absurd contest, the rejection of both animals, and a proposed mouse replacement.

Plot Progression

1. The Household Budget Crisis — A couple reviews the bills and discovers that pet food is a major recurring expense. Their disagreement over responsibility leads them to decide that one animal must go.
2. Choosing Between Companions — The couple argues over the cat and the dog, citing companionship and the dog's reputation as man's best friend. They search for a practical basis for choosing one pet.
3. The Mouse Catching Contest — Mouse-catching becomes the deciding test because it is viewed as an ability the cat possesses and the dog lacks. The couple turns the household disagreement into a contest.
4. The Failed Compromise — The contest fails to settle the dispute, and the couple rejects both pets. A new economy-based solution is proposed: keeping a mouse instead.
5. Expulsion From Home — The pets pack and are told to take only their own belongings. After a final dispute over an item, the cat and dog run away while the couple embraces the mouse solution.