Original Air Date: December 13, 1996
Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, Nick Bakay
Also Starring: Salem
Directed by: Brian K. Roberts
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: Christmas doesn’t keep Salem (voiced by Nick Bakay) from annoying Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) which puts him on the outs with her, leading to his eventually kidnapping by a precocious little boy (Seth Adkins).
Cinema Cat: While the talking Salem was often done with the use of a remarkable animatronic puppet, the real Salem (played by a team of cat actors from Performing Animal Troupe) makes several appearances in this holiday-themed episode.
The trouble starts when Salem tears up Sabrina’s holiday sweater. Despite his destruction, he asks Sabrina if she’ll take him to the pizza parlor with her. She refuses but he jumps off the counter and climbs into her bag anyway.
At the pizza parlor Salem spots a mouse and takes chase, causing a ruckus and interrupting Sabrina’s kiss under the mistletoe with Harvey (Nate Richert). Salem’s presence gets Sabrina banned from the pizza parlor. In the alley outside Sabrina is furious with Salem and they fight. He refuses to go home with her and she leaves him sitting in a garbage bin.
Later Salem finally decides to head home but is hit by a kid named Rex riding a bicycle. Salem isn’t badly hurt but the kid takes him home anyway.
At home Rex dresses Salem in a nightgown, calls him Stinky and plans to keep him.
Salem is mortified and tries to call Sabrina but Rex intercepts the call and announces Stinky is his cat now. Salem tries to escape Rex’s room and almost succeeds but is caught by Rex’s dad (Joe O’Connor).
After Rex refuses to give Salem back to Sabrina, she dresses as Santa Claus and gets Salem into her bag, rescuing him.
Salem is happy to be home with the family again.
Salem is especially happy playing with the ripped wrapping paper left over from the festivities.
Final Mewsings: Cats may act like Scrooges but they love Christmas, too!
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