Why do Fictional Villains Have Pets?

Dr. Evil had Mr. Bigglesworth, Gargamel (from the Smurfs) had Azrael, the Evil Stepmother had Lucifer; and Dolores Umbridge (somehow one of the most heinous villains ever) had her Persian cats.

Why do all of our favorite villains have pets, specifically cats?!

Pets serve to humanize an otherwise despicable character, lending them depth and dimension. Making an otherwise ruthless villain fond of a pet is more believable than if they were to empathize toward another human. That’s because, as humans, we have greater empathy toward vulnerable beings, like pets, than we do toward other humans, particularly adults.

A 2017 study by Jack Levin asked participants to read a fictitious newspaper article detailing a crime in which an unknown assailant beats a victim with a baseball bat. The victim in the article varies between a human baby, a human adult, a puppy, and an adult dog. Participants were then asked to rate their level of empathy toward the victim using an emotional response scale. Results showed that participants had significantly more empathy toward the human baby, the puppy, and the dog than they did toward the adult human.

“When confronted with hypothetical abuse, individuals report more distress over non-human rather than human victimization, unless a human child experiences the suffering,” says the study.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that villains tend to bond with cats. While dogs are known for being controllable, faithful, and affectionate, cats have a reputation for being cold, independent, and aloof. Perhaps the villainous soul recognizes itself in the chaotic nature of cats.

Is your villain feeling one-dimensional? Consider introducing a furry friend to give them some believable complexity.

And yes, I do have a cat.