Mutts

Mutts is a daily comic strip by Patrick McDonnell, based around the foibles of pets and their owners. One of the recurring characters is a cat called Mooch, who has an odd lisp that puts "sh" in front of an initial "m" in most words. Earl the dog is the other major character. Supposedly, McDonnell's initial idea was for a strip featuring the humans who became the "Mutts'" owners, but that the animals took over. On occasion, McDonnell devotes the strip for a week or so to animal-rights issues, especially the adoption of pets from pounds. Perhaps the most endearing character is Guard Dog, a great threatening presence with a heart of gold (who, to Mooch's good fortune, does not realize Mooch is a cat).