Breaking Cat News

Dunn created the strip after relocating to her native Westerly, Rhode Island following her time in Seattle.[1]

The strip made its debut on March 12, 2014, initially self-syndicated by Dunn. It has been available on the GoComics website since October 20, 2014.[2]

Andrews McMeel Publishing released the first collection of the strip in 2016. In the foreword, Dunn shared that she got the idea when one of her cats created a mess, prompting the others to investigate, which inspired her to envision them as television news channel reporters and develop distinct voices for them.[2]

The main characters in Breaking Cat News are based on Dunn's own cats Elvis, Lupin, and Puck, augmented by recent arrivals Goldie, Iggy, and Ora Zella. They are drawn in watercolor and ink. The characters' personalities are based on the personalities and behavior of their real-life counterparts. Also in the cast are a human family originally referred to as the Woman, the Man, the Toddler, and the Baby. In a January 5, 2020 broadcast, when the Baby becomes a toddler, they change the reference terms to The Boy and The Girl.[3] Other people, cats, and a few other domestic and wild creatures appear as the live coverage continues.

Because this is "news important to cats", a typical lead story might be "There's a great big box in the living room!" or "Someone ate all the flowers and threw up in the hallway." Only the animals have names. There are larger story arcs, such as Tommy the stray finding his Woman, the Children developing (learning to walk, potty training, becoming Toddlers), the weather, holiday traditions, the People buying a house, et cetera.

The original three cats, who live on the second floor of the Big Pink House with the Man, the Woman, the Boy, and the Girl:

• Lupin -- the daring cat of adventure! Lupin is the lead anchor of the news desk, despite being the youngest of the original three cats and being deaf (he reads whiskers and understands signs). He has white fur and an irrepressible spirit for having fun.[4]
• Elvis -- the oldest of the original three cats. He's a cynical, jaded reporter with a heart of gold, although he is a Siamese who is easily stressed and doesn't handle change well.[5]
• Puck -- a sensitive, sweet guy who can be courageous when he needs to be. Puck is a black cat who is missing his right hind foot, and is GREAT at making charts for the newscasts.[6]

New additions to the original three cats:

• Goldie -- adopted by the family after being abandoned when her previous family moved.

Two half-grown kittens being parented by the older cats:

• Iggy -- a placid boy, bonded with Ora Zella, with whom he escaped the animal shelter.
• Ora Zella -- a tortie girl, quite rambunctious, bonded with Iggy.

Additional animal characters who live nearby:

• Tommy -- adult male found by Elvis in a story arc when they were both temporarily lost from their homes. Tommy's home was nearby with Sophie and their Woman, but they recently moved to the first floor of the Big Pink House. Tommy is a large fluffy happy-go-lucky cat.[7]
• Sophie -- a quiet, artistic cat who is blind in her left eye. She works in "mixed media modernism," using found materials. She lives with Tommy and their Woman, now on the first floor of the Big Pink House. At first, she found Tommy to be a little boisterous for her, but later has grown to tolerate and even like him.[8]
• Tabitha -- an alpha cat who speaks four languages (Spanish, English, and two others). She is famous for having caught the red dot (of a laser cat toy). She lives with Sir Figaro Newton on the third floor of the Big Pink House with their Woman.[9]
• Sir Figaro Newton -- an inquisitive Spanish-speaking cat who lives with Tabitha on the third floor of the Big Pink House with their Woman.[10]
• Baba Mouse -- a 26-year-old Russian Blue cat who lives in an outbuilding of a nearby farm (the same farm as Burt). She is wise and crotchety, but has a good, tender heart.[11]
• Burt -- the technical audio/visual expert of the news reporting crew. He lives in the barn of a nearby farm (the same farm as Baba Mouse, of whom he is a descendent). He's an easy-going guy with a lot of patience.[12]
• Beatrix -- a female polydactyl kitten who, after interning at the BCN station, has moved to the bookstore as its cat assistant.
• Trevor -- a large, lovable shaggy dog who also lives at the bookstore.

• Official website
• Official website