Merrie Melodies - The Hypo-Chondri-Cat (1950)

The Hypo-Chondri-Cat is a 1950 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The cartoon was released on April 15, 1950 and stars Hubie and Bertie and Claude Cat. The title is a play on "hypochondriac".

Deleted Ending:
According to the storyboard included as a bonus feature on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 DVD set, this cartoon originally was to have had one more scene at the end, which didn't appear in the final cut; as Claude Cat floats via balloon to "Cat Heaven," Hubie and Bertie are shown inside the house, in front of the fireplace, roasting cheese clumps (shaped like marshmallows) on toothpicks. Claude is shown through the window, blissfully drifting skyward.

Goofs:
When Claude falls down on the floor to grab Hubie and Bertie's tails, He is still wearing a scarf, but in the next shot, it's missing for the rest of the episode.

Reception:
Editor Harry McCracken writes, "Here's one cat and mouse cartoon where most of the violence is psychological — the botched "operation" and faked death that Hubie and Bertie put Claude through are practically Hitchcockian. The stages of grief that Claude goes through as he denies his own passing, gets panicky, and finally comes to accept it feature some of the best acting that Mel Blanc ever did."