In “The Vet,” episode 3 of “Henri Le Chat Noir,” our lovable longhair tuxedo cat stares down fame, or rather looks askance at it. He acknowledges his online fans, but is curious why people take interest in his torment. They also make fun of his French, which he claims, “is perfect.”

The debut episode of “Henri Le Chat Noir” had been a hit on Youtube, but the second installment, “Paw de Deux,” gave Henri online fame, with the help of recognition from the inaugural Internet Cat Video Film Festival in Minneapolis.

After winning the Golden Kitty crowd favorite award at the Internet Cat Video Film Festival, series creator Will Braden told the New York Times: “This goes to show that the shared love of cat videos isn’t just a virtual thing, isn’t just a matter of a few clicks, but actually something people can share in real life … I think this legitimizes it.”

Although the Henri series spoofs French experimental cinema, it’s also a bit of an homage. Braden is a huge fan of Francois Truffaut and “The 400 Blows.” “Jean Renoir is also great,” Braden told CatWisdom101. “I think he was one of the first few real geniuses of cinema, that saw it could be as important an art form as literature or painting. I think “Le Grande Illusion” is up there with any great work of art in any medium.”

Henri’s Doctor Does Not Heal

“The Vet” is the first episode of “Henri Le Chat Noir,” in which the fluffy feline ventures out of the house. But new environs, like the vet’s office, come with the same concerns. “The ‘doctor’ cures nothing, yet they keep sending me,” says Henri. He also finds new enemies like the dogs who sniff at his carrier while waiting for the vet.

This is the ennui that comes with being an internet superstar. As for the people who make fun of Henri’s butchered French, Braden admits it’s his fault. In the CatWisdom101, about Henri Le Chat Noir, Braden said that French people who contacted him about the series are pretty forgiving. They describe the voiceover French as “so bad it’s funny.”

Here’s “Henri Le Chat Noir, Part 3, The Vet”:

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