Original Air Date: October 12, 2006

Directed by: Millicent Shelton

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Earl (Jason Lee) tries to repair the damage done to cat fancier Judy (Amy Sedaris) when he stole her prize pet Sebastian in an attempt to help Joy’s (Jaime Pressly) cat win.

Purr Blurs: At the beginning of the episode, Earl and Randy (Ethan Suplee) are outside a diner when a black cat runs across their path. They turn to go the other way and the cat crosses behind them as well.

Randy insists they have to wait three hours to avoid bad luck. At the last second of the three hours, the black cat runs across their path yet again.

Featured Feline: This is a sign to Earl to make amends to Judy. Years earlier, Earl had kidnapped Judy’s Bengal tabby cat Sebastian from a cat show in order to reduce the competition against Joy’s white Persian cat.

The plan was to originally break Sebastian’s knees (a la Nancy Kerrigan) but Earl can’t bring himself to do it.

Cat Cattle Call: Earl ends up taking Sebastian to the Sleeping Cat Lady’s house and leaves him there amongst a large clowder of kitties.

As it turns out, Joy’s cat is not only disqualified for wearing lipstick and contact lenses, he is taken away from her and put into kitty foster care.

Now wishing to right this wrong, Earl returns to the Sleeping Cat Lady’s house but can’t remember what Sebastian looked like. So he confesses to Judy about what he did. Judy is still missing Sebastian so she, Earl and Randy all sneak back into the Sleeping Cat Lady’s house and she finds Sebastian, only he is blown up in size from overeating.

During all of this Randy falls in love with Judy and pretends to be a cat lover, even though he is deathly allergic to cats. They start a relationship and Randy tolerates Sebastian as long as he can. He finally confesses to Judy about his problem and she agrees to give away Sebastian. It is then up to Earl to find the cat a home.

Stopping at the Crab Shack, Darnell (Eddie Steeples) notices the sad look in Sebastian’s eyes and suggests that Earl needs to make amends to the cat as well, since he ruined the poor kitty’s career as a show cat. Darnell makes Earl look Sebastian in the eyes until he gives in.

Earl puts Sebastian on a course of healthy eating and exercise, getting him back in shape for the cat show.

At the show, Earl walks through the obstacle course with Sebastian, but runs around the cones himself before the judge explains the cones for for the cats to walk around.

Randy and Judy are also at the show and Randy starts to realize that even though Judy got rid of her cat for him, more and more she is treating him like a cat. She is leading him by his tie as he passes a show cat being led similarly on a lead.

After Sebastian wins second place in the cat show, Earl talks about taking him to future shows. But Judy decides to take Sebastian back and breaks up with Randy.

Sebastian is undoubtedly the star of the show (although obviously played by at least two talented felines.)

Several cats also appear at the cat shows, including ones that look like their owners. Among the participants is Willie the One-Eyed Mailman (Bill Suplee) and his Persian with matching eye patch.

Final Mewsings: Cats deserve to have their wrongs righted, too.

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