Catbert
Encyclopedia
Catbert is a fictional cat, and the "evil director of human resources
" in the Dilbert
comic strip. He was supposed to be a one-time character but resonated with readers so well that Adams brought him back as the HR director.
and rebooted Dilbert's computer before Dogbert
finally kicked him out of the house. Reader response asked for "more Catbert," despite the cat never having been named, and Adams decided to bring him back as the "evil director" of human resources. Catbert appeared again on March 20, 1995, when Dogbert hired Catbert to handle downsizing (a process that leads to Alice and Wally running for the new org chart and colliding so hard while that they ended up wearing each other's clothes, backwards).
, and making time spent in the bathroom count as "vacation". He also has the help of his "Life Suck 3000" (to suck the life force out of employees faster than normal), and his library of HR binders that give strategies on downsizing and hiring of morons specifically. He often works in tandem with the Pointy-Haired Boss
. Catbert typically celebrates the creation of a new evil policy by purring loudly, hugging himself, or by doing the "evil dance".
He often abuses workers by doing things like sending Wally
home for wearing shorts, even though Wally's pants reach his ankles. He also claws up employees, once batted Dilbert's head off, hid Asok the intern in his catbox
, and pulled some strings to get Wally moved to a window cubicle (so as to use Wally's head as a bed to lay on while the suns rays hit Catbert, warming him).
Catbert's more cat-like traits include use of the catbox, purring, and lying on warm or sun-heated surfaces.
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
" in the Dilbert
Dilbert
Dilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
comic strip. He was supposed to be a one-time character but resonated with readers so well that Adams brought him back as the HR director.
Publication history
An unnamed cat appeared in two 1992 strips as the companion of Dilbert's "perfect romantic match"; he or she strongly resembled the later Catbert design. The real Catbert, unnamed, first appeared in a series of comic strips from September 12 to 16, 1994, when he attacked RatbertRatbert
Ratbert is a regular character from the Dilbert comic strip. He was not originally intended to be a regular, instead being part of a series of strips featuring a lab scientist's cruel experiments...
and rebooted Dilbert's computer before Dogbert
Dogbert
Dogbert is Dilbert's anthropomorphic pet talking dog from the Dilbert comic strip. According to creator Scott Adams, the character is being based on, if not a member of, the beagle breed.-Characterization:...
finally kicked him out of the house. Reader response asked for "more Catbert," despite the cat never having been named, and Adams decided to bring him back as the "evil director" of human resources. Catbert appeared again on March 20, 1995, when Dogbert hired Catbert to handle downsizing (a process that leads to Alice and Wally running for the new org chart and colliding so hard while that they ended up wearing each other's clothes, backwards).
Characteristics
With the help of his "random policy generator", he comes up with sadistic, illogical, and often evil policies to enforce on the employees, such as permanently branding employees, requiring employees to schedule sick time before they actually get sick, replacing the health plan with GoogleGoogle
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, and making time spent in the bathroom count as "vacation". He also has the help of his "Life Suck 3000" (to suck the life force out of employees faster than normal), and his library of HR binders that give strategies on downsizing and hiring of morons specifically. He often works in tandem with the Pointy-Haired Boss
Pointy-Haired Boss
The pointy-haired boss is Dilbert's boss in the Dilbert comic strip. He is notable for his micromanagement, gross incompetence and unawareness of his surroundings, yet somehow retains power in the workplace...
. Catbert typically celebrates the creation of a new evil policy by purring loudly, hugging himself, or by doing the "evil dance".
He often abuses workers by doing things like sending Wally
Wally (Dilbert character)
Wally is a character from the Dilbert comic strip, a lazy employee always trying to work the system.-Inspiration:Wally was inspired by a coworker of creator Scott Adams at Pacific Bell...
home for wearing shorts, even though Wally's pants reach his ankles. He also claws up employees, once batted Dilbert's head off, hid Asok the intern in his catbox
Litter box
A litter box, sometimes called a sandbox, sand box, litter tray, litter pan, dirt box, catbox, or cat box, is an indoor feces and urine disposal box for cats that are permitted free roam of a home but who cannot or do not always go outside...
, and pulled some strings to get Wally moved to a window cubicle (so as to use Wally's head as a bed to lay on while the suns rays hit Catbert, warming him).
Catbert's more cat-like traits include use of the catbox, purring, and lying on warm or sun-heated surfaces.