Nermal

Nermal
Nermal
Nermal as he appears in the comic strip
SpeciesGrey tabby cat
GenderMale
Nickname"The World's Cutest Kitten"
Created byJim Davis
First appearanceSeptember 3, 1979
Voiced byDesiree Goyette (1988 to 1994)
Jason Marsden (2007 to 2016)

Nermal is a fictional grey tabby cat in the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. He is smaller than most cats and prefers to call himself "the world's cutest kitten." He serves as Garfield's arch-rival in the strip, though he isn't really evil, merely annoyingly cute.

Contents
  1. 1Character
  2. 2Relationship with Garfield
  3. 3In Other Media
  4. 4References

Character

Nermal first appeared in the strip on September 3, 1979, and was originally introduced as Jon'sparents' kitten. He frequently visits Jon's house, much to Garfield's dismay.

Despite calling himself a "kitten," Nermal has appeared in the strip for over 45 years without aging. His self-proclaimed cuteness is central to his character; he expects and often receives attention and affection from humans, which triggers Garfield's jealousy.

Relationship with Garfield

The "world's cutest kitten" triggers Garfield's jealousy reliably. Nermal receives the attention and affection Garfield believes he deserves, and so Garfield responds with casual bullying, attempted mailings, and general hostility.

A recurring gag involves Garfield attempting to mail Nermal to Abu Dhabi. As of 2024, Garfield has attempted this over 74 times. The dynamic is entirely one-sided; Nermal seems largely unbothered by Garfield's hostility and continues to flaunt his cuteness.

Despite their antagonism, there have been occasional moments of cooperation between the two cats, usually when facing a common enemy or situation.

In Other Media

In Garfield and Friends (1988 to 1994), Nermal was voiced by Desiree Goyette.

In Garfield: The Movie (2004), Nermal was portrayed as a Siamese cat in the neighborhood, voiced by David Eigenberg.

In The Garfield Show (2009 to 2016) and the direct-to-video CGI films, Nermal is voiced by Jason Marsden.

References

  1. Davis, Jim (September 3, 1979). "Garfield by Jim Davis for September 3, 1979". GoComics.
  2. "List of Garfield characters". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026.