Cat's history: Wallace and Gromit's shaggy dog story

Wallace and his wonderfully expressive assistant, Gromit (PA)

Gromit, silent companion of barmpot inventor Wallace, was almost a very different four-legged friend.

Gromit's creator Nick Park told this week's Radio Times: "I had this idea about this guy who builds a rocket in the basement... Then I thought he had to have an assistant, so I drew a cat, called Gromit."

Whisker-animation difficulties saw to it that Gromit became a dog, though. As anyone who has swooned at W&G's adventures will know, the wonderfully expressive Gromit is often the hero of the pair's stories. Just imagine how good he'd be if he were a kitty: more nimble, smarter, better reflexes, able to scratch enemies with an elementary visciousness and, when it comes to matching Wallace for cheese consumption, no contest.

For this feline betrayal UK cat lovers ought to demand that Aardman's next project feature a heroic mog. Or else the Wensleydale gets it.