- "Kitty? You are not as good as they say. You are better!"
- ―Puss in Boots
Kitty Softpaws, often referred to as just Kitty, is the deuteragonist of Puss in Boots and one of the two deuteragonists (alongside Perrito) of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. She is a famous outlaw and Puss in Boots' girlfriend in two films. Like Puss, she speaks with a Spanish accent. Kitty is not seen in The Adventures of Puss in Boots, as the series takes place before the events of the first film.
She is voiced by Salma Hayek and her cat vocals are provided by Frank Welker.
Appearance
She has a white chest, whiskers, muzzle, tail-tip, eyebrows and white paws. The white highlights on her muzzle change slightly between films, being more defined, and absent from the top of her snout in The Last Wish. Her eyes are bright, deep blue with large pupils, lined in prominent black, with noticeable eyelashes, and underlined with faint white stripes. In The Last Wish, her eyes are wholly blue excluding the black pupil, with no white sclera visible. She carries a fine stiletto dagger, which can somehow be extended long enough to function as a short sword. The blade is worn either on a brown leather belt with brass or gold fittings, or a mint green cloth belt as seen in The Last Wish. She also holds a small dagger with a cat head handle which she calls: "Gatito Blade". Particularly when committing crimes, such as when first seen in either movies, she may wear a face mask, cape and/or gloves, which are dark grey in the first film. In The Last Wish, she wears a more decorated mask and small cape in green, with gold accents, matching the newer belt. She also wears high-heeled dark brown leather boots that cover most of her legs. Her fur is very dense and smooth. She has no claws on her paws because they were pulled by her former owners.
Personality
Cool and well-groomed, Kitty knows how to be persuasive without ever being a damsel in distress. She can be testy but never falters under pressure. At first, she cared only about stealing the golden eggs, but that changes when she meets Puss. She is incredibly clever, civilized and persuasive to all, especially to Puss. She can be sweet whenever she wants to, but destructive at times. She has been shown to be humorous at times, as seen when she would tease Puss. It was noted she is called Soft-paws because she can steal things away from people without their ever noticing. She proves this by stealing Puss's hat, bag of money, and boots, just to tease him at all times. While she and Puss are riding on the wagon, she reveals she doesn't have any claws.
She is sweet, but also tough, very independent and capable of defending herself, even refusing Puss' help to defend her. The two combined are nigh impossible to defeat, demonstrated by how they took down the San Ricardo guards while breaking out. She is shown to feel strongly about Puss' abandonment of her at Santa Coloma, but is also quite forgiving and still readily able to open her heart to love.
Relationships
Puss in Boots
In the beginning Puss and Kitty fought. However, once she took off her mask, Puss realized she was a woman, and tried to flirt with her. When he was upset that she worked for his ex-best friend, Kitty charmed him into helping them. At first, Kitty was very dismissive of him, but began to trust him. When she told him how she lost her claws, Puss felt sorry for her. During their dance after stealing the golden goose, Puss tried to kiss Kitty, but Humpty got in the way and took her away. After Puss was captured by guards, Kitty realized that she had fallen for him and went to back to break him out. However, Puss was still a bit angry that she betrayed him but was happy that she came back. Then she admitted that she loved him. After Puss saved the town, Kitty and Puss dance again and then kiss. In the end, Kitty became his girlfriend.
Backstory
Kitty Softpaws was a stray cat, until a nice couple took her in. She was very proud of her claws, and, unfortunately, used them to scratch the curtains and would sometimes play too rough with the hamster, so her owners declawed her. She ran away shortly after the incident, using the loss of her claws to her advantage, becoming an expert thief thanks to her soft touch.
Appearances
Puss in Boots
In Humpty's scheme to use Puss, Humpty calls upon Kitty for her talent and manipulation. On the night, Puss tries to rob Jack and Jill, Kitty (in a mask) seems to be after the beans too. Things don't work well and they end up in a cat club. It's dance night so instead of just boxing the two cats duke it out with dance. Puss is impressed by the stranger but after slipping milk on his boots they begin a sword fight. Kitty was about to win when Puss whacks her with a guitar. She takes off the masks and a stunned Puss realizes she's a female. Puss gets infatuated with this kindred spirit but is furious to see her in alliance with his ex-best friend, Humpty. Kitty charms Puss into helping her steal the golden eggs, and quickly kisses him on the cheek. But when Puss explains his history with Humpty, she falls asleep.
Eventually, Puss is convinced to help them steal the eggs, for the sake of San Ricardo and Imelda (the human woman who adopted him as a kitten).
During the adventure, she and Puss become close. She explains the sad story of how her previous owners declawed her; Puss comforts her with the knowledge that cat people are crazy.
After stealing the golden egg laying gander, she and Puss enjoy a dance. Puss and Kitty were about to share a passionate kiss when Humpty pulls Kitty away from Puss and warns Kitty not to get too close (Obviously talking about falling in love with Puss). The next morning, Puss awakes with everyone gone, thinking Jack and Jill have kidnapped his friends.
Puss travels to his hometown to find Humpty and the evil duo celebrating their swindle. Puss is thrown in jail for his old crime while Kitty watches sadly, realizing that she has fallen in love with Puss.
When Puss finds out from old Jack of the bean stalk tale tells that the Mother goose will destroy the town, he attempts to escape with his big eyes but fails, just as Kitty knocked out the guard. She gives him his sword, belt, boots and hat which were taken by the guard. Kitty admits that she loves him, which makes him happy, but doesn't make them even. As they escaped Kitty's boot was grabbed by a guard, she let guards grab her and fights with them, so Puss could escape. Kitty fought guards and escaped, which makes them even.
In the end, the town loves Puss again but he's still wanted by the law. As he leaves, Kitty is by his side matching his moves to her. He promises they will meet again, and Kitty replies 'Sooner than you think,' then she shows she's stolen his boots again and takes off after she blows him a kiss. She then becomes Puss's girlfriend a while after she and Puss dance then the cats finally kiss on the lips.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Before the events of the film, Puss and Kitty continued their relationship. Despite this, Kitty got annoyed with Puss' love for himself. One day, Puss and Kitty were due to be married, but on that wedding day, he left her on the altar. Hurt and devastated, Kitty stopped trusting anyone from that day on, and silently broke up with Puss.
Kitty first appears when Puss is trying to steal the Map for the legendary Wishing Star from the crime lord "Big" Jack Horner, as she plots to steal it for herself. The two reunite and, after arguing, are forced to team up again when both Horner and the crime family, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, chase them for the Map. She gets to know Perrito, a homeless therapy dog who's a new friend of Puss. Along the way, she grows suspicious of Perrito, believing his cute nature to be a "classic con." This is revealed to be a baseless assumption when they give him the Map and realize he's the only one that gets an easy path.
Overtime, she begins to feel pity for Perrito, and continues bickering with Puss through the Dark Forest. When drifting through the River of Relaxation, she vents to Perrito about her past and lack of trust in anyone. Afterwards, she gets to cut Puss's beard and gives him her Gatito Blade as a substitute for his lost sword. After Puss throws his "stick sword", Perrito gets captured by Horner, who threatens to kill him if they don't give him the Map. Luckily, Perrito gets free when Goldilocks and the Three Bears come in and start a fight with Horner, with Puss and Kitty running to get the Map. However, unknown to Kitty, Puss is at his last life and has a panic attack when he's almost killed by Horner (and seeing Death witnessing the events), while the Map gets stolen by the Goldilocks and the Bears, much to Kitty's frustration.
Even though she's initially angry at Puss, she overhears Puss talking about how much he regrets about leaving her at the altar that day in Santa Coloma (where they were due to be wed), and how he wishes he didn't hurt her. She starts falling in love once again with Puss as she notices he's not the arrogant type he used to be. Kitty even claims she "didn't show up either" to make him feel better about the situation. Puss and Kitty go to steal the Map from Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but get busted for their "crime back." This forces Kitty to use the Map to change reality and physics. She dances with Puss and tosses the porridge towards each of them. They get the Map back but the Three Bears Crime Family kidnap Perrito in the process of the shape-shifting landscape.
Kitty loses Puss when he gets stuck in the Cave of Lost Souls but he promises they'll reunite. She rescues Perrito and then goes to rescue Puss, who already got out of the Cave. Seeing him running away, they think he betrayed them (when in fact he's literally running away from Death). She finds Puss on the Wishing Star and confronts him about his selfishness-- telling him that her wish was to have someone she could trust as she never had that in her whole life, and she thought he was the person she could finally trust. When Puss tells her about his Nine Lives, she understands, but is still upset that she cannot compete with his love for himself. Kitty gives him the Map, telling him he can have the Wish, but to never talk to her again. Before she can leave, Horner arrives, as do Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A big fight for the wish ensues, which ends with Kitty fighting kicking Horner in his infinite magic bag.
Still uncertain, Kitty notices Puss preparing to make his wish for more lives. Just then, Death incarnate enters to claim Puss' last life. and creates a fire circle between them and Puss so he cannot escape from him again and no one else can interfere. As Death confronts him, Puss realizes the value of his life and says he is done running away, and even uses Kitty's knife during the fight-- much to Kitty's happiness. Puss defeats Death and says that even though he knows he will never defeat him, he will never stop fighting for this last life. Pleasing both Kitty and Perrito, but irritating Death, who accepts realizing that he changed and leaves. Kitty says she doesn't want her wish anymore, as she already found someone she can trust-- him.
Suddenly, Horner ate the magic snacks in his bag and gets out as a giant, taking the Map from the couple and preparing to make his wish to become the master of all magic. Perrito distracts him long enough to allow Puss, Kitty and Goldilocks to destroy the Map, while Horner is swallowed by the imploding star and shot into space. Puss and Kitty get back together and search for an actual name for Perrito. She suggests "Chiquito" or "Jeff." The dog then decides to stick with Perrito, as that's what his friends call him.
Puss, Kitty and Perrito then steals the ship from the Governor of Del Mar and sail to Far Far Away to visit some of Puss's old friends.
The Trident
When camping in a Far Far Away forest and trying to explain the idea of "nine lives" to Perrito, Puss is teased by Kitty about "the Trident." As it turns out, the heist was what led to one of Puss' more embarrassing deaths. After much teasing, Puss tells the story to Perrito. Kitty made a surprise appearance, also trying to retrieve the trident of Poseidon. She is successful in claiming it, and uses the trident to save Puss from the pirates by summoning a giant tidal wave. This puts out the spark that would've shot Puss out of a cannon, but ultimately gives him an idea to "revolutionize travel." Wanting to enable the ridiculousness of the plan, she encourages a sailor to launch Puss out of the cannon. This ends up killing him, and making him lose his fifth life. Both Puss and Kitty laugh it off, as it was a defining moment for their relationship.
Abilities
- Kitty is an amazing sword fighter, able to keep up with Puss
- Kitty is also an amazing dancer.
- She is highly attractive, and uses her appeal to trick others.
- Thanks to her soft paws, she can steal things away from people without them noticing.
Quotes
- "Kitty: You hit me in the head with a guitar?!
Puss: You uh...uh...you are a woman?
Kitty: Amateur!" - ―The first conversation between Kitty and Puss.
Puss: I owe you?
Kitty: Mmhmm. You hit me in the head with a guitar.
Puss: I regret the guitar.
Kitty: Okay, I forgive you. So, you're in?
Puss: Well there is one teeny tiny iddy biddy problem.
Kitty: And what is that?
Puss: You work for the egg!
Kitty: Oh, come on, Puss! What happened between you and Humpty that was so bad?
Puss: I am afraid with me and Humpty the scars are too deep. It all started a long time ago.
Kitty: Oh, no! No! No! No! You really don't have to tell me your whole life story, please!"
Puss: Kitty, you don’t understand.
Kitty: Don’t understand what? That you’ve been playing me this whole time?
Puss: I need this wish.
Kitty: Oh, yeah? You want to know what my wish was? Someone, anyone I could trust. [Kitty takes back the map]
Puss: Hey!
Kitty: In my whole life, I’ve never had that. But I thought I finally found that someone without a wish. I thought it was you. But you’re still running. Still the same old Puss in Boots.
Puss: But I am not! I am not Puss in Boots. I’m… [Sighs] I am on my last life. I need to get my lives back. Without them, I am not… I-I am not…
Kitty: What? The legend? [Chuckles] I still can’t compete with your one true love. Go on, get your lives back. Just keep them out of mine.
Puss: Kitty! Death is after me!"
- ―Kitty confronts Puss for trying to keep the vow for him, also chastising his desire to get back his lost lives as nothing more than his inability to be self-sufficient.
Puss: The wish is yours. You deserve someone you can trust.
Kitty: I don’t need it. I’ve got what I wished for. No magic required."
- "I'll steal you blind, and you'll never even know I was there!"
- ―Kitty to Puss.
Trivia
- Kitty is noted to be a magical cat in the junior novelisation of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which explains her anthropomorphic qualities. It notes that if she were to lose her magic (through all magic being owned by "Big" Jack Horner for example) she would become a regular cat who did not wear clothing or go on adventures.
- She claimed to not show up to their wedding at Santa Coloma as well as she did not want to Mary the self-loving Puss, though it is likely false as she likely would not know he failed to show up if she had not checked in as well.
- Her name “Softpaws” was said to come from her robbing people, without them noticing and her lack of claws that facilitate this.
- Although this has increased her stealthiness, her made her catching skills more advanced, her lack of claws has also proven troublesome as she cannot as easily open locks or use her claws as supports for climbing up and down objects.
- Though Kitty appears to be the same height as Puss, her boots have higher heels on them, so she is possibly be shorter than Puss.
- When the two first encountered, Kitty’s body shape was a bit bulkier, the white fur on her chest was removed, and her voice sounded slightly deeper, however, when she took off her mask, her body shape became more slender, her chest gained white fur and her voice was normal.
- Kitty shares a resemblance to the Bolt character Mittens. Both are female cats, steet-smart, living alone, do not have claws, have a dry sense of humor, and are obviously of the same breed. Plus, their followers are egotistical heroes (Bolt, Puss in Boots), plucky comic reliefs (Rhino, Perrito), and loyal owners (Penny, Mama Luna), while their enemies are destructive hunters (Dr. Calico, Death Wolf), greedy buffoons (Agent, Jack Horner) and paranoid officials (Director, Goldilocks).
