Street kitten meets pitbull by way of Pixar
February 20, 2019 9:00 AM Subscribe
Kitbull is a beautifully animated Pixar short about an encounter between a spunky street kitten and a kindly pitbull. Content warning for offscreen animal cruelty and military grade Pixar heartstring tugging.
They released another one of these shorts earlier last week as well, Smash and Grab, a short about two antiquated robots who risk everything for freedom and for each other after years of toiling away inside the engine room of a towering locomotive. [YouTube]
It's certainly dusty up in here.
posted by Fizz at 9:10 AM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
It's certainly dusty up in here.
posted by Fizz at 9:10 AM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
I didn't need that mascara anyway.
posted by thivaia at 9:11 AM on February 20, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by thivaia at 9:11 AM on February 20, 2019 [6 favorites]
That fucking tail thump when Kit first snuggles up to Bull.
*heart melts*
posted by Fizz at 9:17 AM on February 20, 2019 [15 favorites]
*heart melts*
posted by Fizz at 9:17 AM on February 20, 2019 [15 favorites]
This is one of Pixar's SparkShorts experimental projects. Another, Purl, is the subject of a current previously. Further reading: What Are 'SparkShorts'? Pixar's Experimental Storytelling Initiative That Produced Shorts like 'Purl,' 'Smash & Grab,' & 'Kitbull'. Like early Pixar shorts, they were previously shown at SIGGRAPH
posted by larrybob at 9:49 AM on February 20, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by larrybob at 9:49 AM on February 20, 2019 [7 favorites]
What is wrong with my eyes? You did something to my eyes! They are leaking.
posted by ambulocetus at 9:51 AM on February 20, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by ambulocetus at 9:51 AM on February 20, 2019 [4 favorites]
That fucking tail thump when Kit first snuggles up to Bull.
Yep, that's the bit that got me too.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:54 AM on February 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
Yep, that's the bit that got me too.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:54 AM on February 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
Oh man.... the animators really nailed the sort of... dumb affability of most of the pit bulls I have known, as well as the fuzzy.... pointy-ness of independent kittehs
posted by Paladin1138 at 11:16 AM on February 20, 2019 [15 favorites]
posted by Paladin1138 at 11:16 AM on February 20, 2019 [15 favorites]
I look forward to Pixar's next short where two forest animals argue about which hunting season it is.
posted by Space Coyote at 11:43 AM on February 20, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by Space Coyote at 11:43 AM on February 20, 2019 [11 favorites]
So many feels. I've been watching and waiting for the new SparkShorts (sorta along the lines of larrybob's links) since I heard the backstory from the tested.com podcasts peeps. They've all been pretty cool.
posted by zengargoyle at 11:45 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by zengargoyle at 11:45 AM on February 20, 2019
military grade Pixar heartstring tugging
100% not an exaggeration.
Picture me on the couch last night, watching this, sobbing quietly so my husband doesn't hear because he has ALL OF THE EMPATHY NEURONS and he doesn't need to see this, thank you very much, so I didn't want him to know I was watching it.
posted by cooker girl at 11:50 AM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
100% not an exaggeration.
Picture me on the couch last night, watching this, sobbing quietly so my husband doesn't hear because he has ALL OF THE EMPATHY NEURONS and he doesn't need to see this, thank you very much, so I didn't want him to know I was watching it.
posted by cooker girl at 11:50 AM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
This made me full on ugly cry. I'm not ashamed.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:56 AM on February 20, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:56 AM on February 20, 2019 [4 favorites]
dumb affability of most of the pit bulls I have known, as well as the fuzzy.... pointy-ness of independent kittehs
Yeah, I've spent a lot of time volunteering at the shelter and fostering, and the two most common shelter animals are kittens and pit bulls. Both portrayals seem like someone is pretty famliiar with both. Kittens love to add unnecessary energy/movement to everything.
(Those are the most common because kittens have a massive overproduction problem, so there is a constant pipeline of foster->adoptions, and because sadly pitbulls are the hardest to get adopted and probably most likely to get abandoned/returned, due to public fear and breed laws and so on. The vast majority of the dogs at the shelter are pitbulls or pitbull mixes).
posted by thefoxgod at 12:04 PM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
Yeah, I've spent a lot of time volunteering at the shelter and fostering, and the two most common shelter animals are kittens and pit bulls. Both portrayals seem like someone is pretty famliiar with both. Kittens love to add unnecessary energy/movement to everything.
(Those are the most common because kittens have a massive overproduction problem, so there is a constant pipeline of foster->adoptions, and because sadly pitbulls are the hardest to get adopted and probably most likely to get abandoned/returned, due to public fear and breed laws and so on. The vast majority of the dogs at the shelter are pitbulls or pitbull mixes).
posted by thefoxgod at 12:04 PM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
We had a pit/lab mix and she was the most loving, affectionate dog. She'd seen some shit though so could get a bit defensive with strangers who didn't understand boundaries. But the perfect family dog for sure.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:28 PM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:28 PM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
The kitten sideways-jumping when agitated was the realism winner for me.
posted by mykescipark at 12:55 PM on February 20, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by mykescipark at 12:55 PM on February 20, 2019 [14 favorites]
Good lord, I had to pause it in the middle I was crying so much. Also, I could no longer see the screen because my pittie wouldn't stop licking my face.
posted by LarsC at 12:59 PM on February 20, 2019 [12 favorites]
posted by LarsC at 12:59 PM on February 20, 2019 [12 favorites]
I have a pocket pit mix and the part that got me was when he did the hopeful little butt wag while standing on the stairs as his "owner" shut the door. I'm going to go hug my dog when I get home, but I was already going to do that anyway.
I'll give this one 8/10 Up openings. (Right? The opening to Up is basically Tsar Bomba levels of heartstring tugging)
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:29 PM on February 20, 2019 [11 favorites]
I'll give this one 8/10 Up openings. (Right? The opening to Up is basically Tsar Bomba levels of heartstring tugging)
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:29 PM on February 20, 2019 [11 favorites]
This is the short they show you to test whether you're a replicant.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 2:44 PM on February 20, 2019 [25 favorites]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 2:44 PM on February 20, 2019 [25 favorites]
aww...my lil siamese game and plomped down next to me while I was watching this, just to make sure I was crying an appropriate amount.
posted by es_de_bah at 3:57 PM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by es_de_bah at 3:57 PM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
I look forward to Pixar's next short where two forest animals argue about which hunting season it is.
That's a fat-bellied stogie sucker, and them's good eatin'!
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 4:04 PM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
That's a fat-bellied stogie sucker, and them's good eatin'!
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 4:04 PM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
I adopted a lil barn kitty and that is EXACTLY how she acted when warming up to Big Dumb Dog.
posted by Grandysaur at 4:28 PM on February 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Grandysaur at 4:28 PM on February 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
In the final scene, the dog is wearing an orange scarf.
"Orange" is a sign to other dog owners which means, "I am friendly to humans but reactive/fearful/aggressive to other dogs, so please do not approach with your dog."
That's a nice touch. This dog has gone through some $h!+, and its new family isn't ignoring that, but is taking steps to make sure it has all the tools it needs to have a good life.
posted by Xiphias Gladius at 4:55 PM on February 20, 2019 [24 favorites]
"Orange" is a sign to other dog owners which means, "I am friendly to humans but reactive/fearful/aggressive to other dogs, so please do not approach with your dog."
That's a nice touch. This dog has gone through some $h!+, and its new family isn't ignoring that, but is taking steps to make sure it has all the tools it needs to have a good life.
posted by Xiphias Gladius at 4:55 PM on February 20, 2019 [24 favorites]
So I got all weepy watching this and my Staffy (which is a pit-adjacent breed) walked around the room and huffed, looking for the source of the barks and cat sounds, but also because I was upset and he can get all protective when somebody in the family is upset. When I finished and went to give him a cuddle he immediately bounded over to get a toy so we could play, because playing makes everything better.
Dogs, man. Not sure what we did to deserve them.
posted by nubs at 6:00 PM on February 20, 2019 [6 favorites]
Dogs, man. Not sure what we did to deserve them.
posted by nubs at 6:00 PM on February 20, 2019 [6 favorites]
Well, even with the warning, that was more emotionally devastating than I expected. I'm glad it ended happily and beautifully, though. I loved how it was just through the animals' eyes.
This thread is missing photos of your cute pets, as all threads that don't have them are.
(I don't have a pet right now -- not living in the right space currently. But I was cat-sitting last weekend and one of the cats after about two years of being there about every six weeks, finally decided I was cool enough for him to sit beside on the couch and OMG, he even let me give him all the scritches until he purred. We are going to start dog-sitting on Sunday for about 3 weeks and I can't wait.)
posted by darksong at 6:30 PM on February 20, 2019
This thread is missing photos of your cute pets, as all threads that don't have them are.
(I don't have a pet right now -- not living in the right space currently. But I was cat-sitting last weekend and one of the cats after about two years of being there about every six weeks, finally decided I was cool enough for him to sit beside on the couch and OMG, he even let me give him all the scritches until he purred. We are going to start dog-sitting on Sunday for about 3 weeks and I can't wait.)
posted by darksong at 6:30 PM on February 20, 2019
I miss Gracie so much.
I saw a shadow run behind my car as I was backing out of a convenience store one night, and I got out to see if I'd hit anything. There was a dog, a puppy really, cowering in the hedge. It took a while to get her to come over to me, but the moment I touched her, I fell madly in love. She was a beautiful gold color, with huge brown eyes, and she suddenly trusted me implicitly.
She had a wound over one ear, a few healed scars, and was scrawny and in terrible shape. I took her home, and carefully introduced her to my German shepherd mutt, Bones. Bones hated all other dogs. Gracie, I came to learn, feared all other dogs. They hit it off immediately.
The next day the vet told me the pads on her paws were thick, indicating she'd been on the street a while, and she'd been fighting. Maybe she'd been a bait dog. He checked her out, got her vaccines updated, and wished me luck.
I asked around, posted notices, checked the papers, but never found an owner. And fell ever more deeply in love with Gracie. She was loving, goofy, sweet, and perfectly behaved. Until about the six month mark where she started eating everything I owned. Shoes. Speakers. Sofas. She was also an accomplished escape artist, and I got good at building Gracie-proof dog runs.
But she was so loving, so enthusiastically happy, so mischievous, so brave. She and Bones were inseparable, and terrible influences on each other. I remember what it was like to have one snuggled up on either side of me. It's an amazing thing to be that well loved.
They both lived good lives. Bones passed away at age fifteen in 2007, and Gracie had medical problems which led to her death a year later.
So that's why I'm typing this between bouts of sobbing, in case you were wondering.
She was a good dog.
posted by MrVisible at 6:34 PM on February 20, 2019 [22 favorites]
I saw a shadow run behind my car as I was backing out of a convenience store one night, and I got out to see if I'd hit anything. There was a dog, a puppy really, cowering in the hedge. It took a while to get her to come over to me, but the moment I touched her, I fell madly in love. She was a beautiful gold color, with huge brown eyes, and she suddenly trusted me implicitly.
She had a wound over one ear, a few healed scars, and was scrawny and in terrible shape. I took her home, and carefully introduced her to my German shepherd mutt, Bones. Bones hated all other dogs. Gracie, I came to learn, feared all other dogs. They hit it off immediately.
The next day the vet told me the pads on her paws were thick, indicating she'd been on the street a while, and she'd been fighting. Maybe she'd been a bait dog. He checked her out, got her vaccines updated, and wished me luck.
I asked around, posted notices, checked the papers, but never found an owner. And fell ever more deeply in love with Gracie. She was loving, goofy, sweet, and perfectly behaved. Until about the six month mark where she started eating everything I owned. Shoes. Speakers. Sofas. She was also an accomplished escape artist, and I got good at building Gracie-proof dog runs.
But she was so loving, so enthusiastically happy, so mischievous, so brave. She and Bones were inseparable, and terrible influences on each other. I remember what it was like to have one snuggled up on either side of me. It's an amazing thing to be that well loved.
They both lived good lives. Bones passed away at age fifteen in 2007, and Gracie had medical problems which led to her death a year later.
So that's why I'm typing this between bouts of sobbing, in case you were wondering.
She was a good dog.
posted by MrVisible at 6:34 PM on February 20, 2019 [22 favorites]
It's like, you see the huge punch in the feels coming, and still...
That was wonderful.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 6:49 PM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
That was wonderful.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 6:49 PM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
In the final scene, the dog is wearing an orange scarf.
"Orange" is a sign to other dog owners which means, "I am friendly to humans but reactive/fearful/aggressive to other dogs, so please do not approach with your dog."
I noticed the color too, but didn't know the color meant that in dog ownership circles. I thought it was linking to the orange bottlecap to indicate... something? I don't know, but given how much thought Pixar puts into all these shorts, I can't believe its a coincidence that the bottlecap and the scarf are the same color.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:37 AM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
"Orange" is a sign to other dog owners which means, "I am friendly to humans but reactive/fearful/aggressive to other dogs, so please do not approach with your dog."
I noticed the color too, but didn't know the color meant that in dog ownership circles. I thought it was linking to the orange bottlecap to indicate... something? I don't know, but given how much thought Pixar puts into all these shorts, I can't believe its a coincidence that the bottlecap and the scarf are the same color.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:37 AM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
I watched this a couple of days ago with tears streaming down my face. Watched it again this morning, knowing exactly what was coming, and still cried as much.
posted by Miss Cellania at 4:51 AM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Miss Cellania at 4:51 AM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
This thread is missing photos of your cute pets, as all threads that don't have them are.
If it helps brighten someone's day, then here - Bunk's morning blep.
posted by nubs at 12:53 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
If it helps brighten someone's day, then here - Bunk's morning blep.
posted by nubs at 12:53 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
Here's my pup the first time he got snuggled by my kitty.
I watched it again to similar results. No one does silent movies better than Pixar.
posted by LarsC at 1:08 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
I watched it again to similar results. No one does silent movies better than Pixar.
posted by LarsC at 1:08 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]
I read the comments before watching the short. So I was pre-emptive-ly sniffly before outright bawling. I wanted to hug them and their (later) humans, hard.
My current living situation doesn't allow for pets, a source of great sadness for me. More pet pictures encouraged, please and thank you.
posted by Nieshka at 1:14 AM on February 22, 2019
My current living situation doesn't allow for pets, a source of great sadness for me. More pet pictures encouraged, please and thank you.
posted by Nieshka at 1:14 AM on February 22, 2019
I went back and watched again last night. Yup, cried again.
Here's Hugo the Bully Mix with his stumpy little legs. He's the one who did the butt wiggle that the clip reminded me of.
Bonus pic of little black kitty Isis and her brother Osiris
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:19 AM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
Here's Hugo the Bully Mix with his stumpy little legs. He's the one who did the butt wiggle that the clip reminded me of.
Bonus pic of little black kitty Isis and her brother Osiris
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:19 AM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
"Hugo" is *exactly* the right name for that guy!
It was the moment when the pit accepted the stranger's petting that got me.
posted by uberchet at 11:54 AM on February 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
It was the moment when the pit accepted the stranger's petting that got me.
This is the short they show you to test whether you're a replicant."You see a kitten and a pit bull in the street. Why aren't you adopting them?"
posted by uberchet at 11:54 AM on February 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Pet pics, you say?
Here's our Norwegian Puffin Dog having a moment on the kitchen floor with the cat.
posted by Harald74 at 11:41 AM on February 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Here's our Norwegian Puffin Dog having a moment on the kitchen floor with the cat.
posted by Harald74 at 11:41 AM on February 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
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posted by suelac at 9:10 AM on February 20, 2019 [4 favorites]