In "Prehistory of the Far Side", Larson said that he thought that what bothered people about the cartoon was that there was no escape for the cat. In a typical animated cartoon, if a cat is run over or blown up, a few seconds later he has recovered and is back in action:
There's never a suggestion that the cat's suffering is anything but transitory. In a single panel cartoon, however, no resolution is possible. The dogs play 'tethercat' forever....I suppose some people may have appreciated a disclaimer at the bottom of the cartoon saying, 'Note: A few minutes later, the cat escaped, returned with a bazooka and blew the dogs away.' (Of course, now I'm on the dogs' case.)
Larson was great.
I’ve been a fan of Larson for some time. I once presented a Far Side calender to a bandmember for Christmas. She did not appreciate the humor. :^)
It’s a cartoon, for Pete’s sake. Cat lovers need to find a hobby.