20 Things You Didn’t Know About You Only Live Twice (1967)
13. Right Idea, But Wrong Pussy
Following the big reveal of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in this film, his trademark white Persian cat took more of a backseat to the SPECTRE leader in subsequent Bond films. This was partly because the filmmakers learned the hard way in You Only Live Twice not to involve animals in action scenes.
Blofeld’s malevolent moggy - which was one of the Persian cats starring in the Kosset Carpets television commercials of the time - was genuinely terrified of the gunfire and explosions being set off around it during the climactic battle inside the volcano lair. The beleaguered feline even voided its bowels several times over Donald Pleasence’s trousers!
When Pleasence released the cat after Blofeld shoots Mr Osato, it vanished and was found several days later, hiding in the rafters of the soundstage. It was so traumatised by the experience that it never worked on a film or television set again, requiring the production company to pay damages for loss of earnings to its wrangler.
Noticeably, in subsequent Bond films featuring Blofeld, his cat simply vanishes long before the shooting and explosions start.