Macavity

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Macavity is a fictional character who is described in a poem in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T. S. Eliot. He also appears in the musical, Cats (composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber), which is based on Eliot's book.

Macavity (also called the Mystery Cat, the Hidden Paw and Napoleon of Crime) is a master criminal who is responsible for a multitude of crimes, but in the book he is too clever to leave any evidence of his guilt. In the musical, he is the villain of the play and kidnaps Old Deuteronomy, the Jellicle leader.

The poem accuses Macavity of misbehaviour that would be within the capabilities of an ordinary cat, such as stealing milk, but also holds him responsible for major crimes. He is referred to as a "fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity" and has been suspected of stifling Pekes, vandalism, theft, cheating at cards, espionage and controlling an organized crime ring with Mungojerrie (probably his partner in crime, Rumpleteazer is also a member of Macavity's organization) and Griddlebone among the members. He also possesses the mystical power of levitation, effectively "breaking the law of gravity."

Macavity is described as being a ginger cat who is very tall and thin with sunken eyes. "His brow is deeply lined in thought, his head is highly domed; His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed." In the musical, he is typically depicted as a cat with a chaotic array of red, orange, white, and sharp black stripes. He is often portrayed with very long claws and wild dark hair.

Bryn Walters as Macavity

Within the musical, he makes several attempts to do little more than scare the tribe, but eventually manages to kidnap Old Deuteronomy. As seen in the video of Cats and most stage performances, he appears capable of performing some form of hypnosis. In all productions of the musical, he appears to be an excellent fighter, taking on Munkustrap and Alonzo along with other Jellicles before making an escape.

Macavity is portrayed by Bryn Walters in the Cats direct-to-video motion picture.