Meet the real-life cats who inspired Stray and its hero

Olivia Richman Published 19/07/2022

Did you ever wonder why the cat protagonist in Stray appears so lifelike in his movements, appearance, and behavior? Well that’s because the ginger cat in Stray is inspired by an actual former stray kitty named Murtaugh.

While the cat in Stray doesn’t have a name, there is a real-life cat that inspired the lovable four-legged adventurer in the puzzle game. In official posts from PlayStation, it states that Murtaugh is owned by one of BlueTwelve Studio’s cofounders after being found wandering the streets of Montpellier, France. Murtaugh went from hiding underneath a car to being known as “The Boss” by the BlueTwelve Studio team.

“Even though we knew that we weren’t aiming for a 100% precise representation, having a character that feels really believable especially for cat owners who are so used to seeing their companion everyday required a lot of work. Viv and Koola did a lot of very subtle iterations on the appearance of the game’s cat to really try and capture the cuteness but also the liveliness and playfulness of a cat,” developers said.

Others cats that helped create the protagonist behind Stray

While Murtaugh was the original inspiration for Stray’s star kitty, there are other cats behind the scenes that helped make the purring protagonist so believable.

A cat named Oscar was used as a reference when animating the main character. Oscar is a sphynx cat that worked at the studio every day, jumping and running so animators could recreate the movements in-game. You can tell animators paid close attention to everything Oscar did, including his expressions and musculature.

Another important cat involved in the production of Stray is Jun. He was bestowed the title of executive chief general president commander director officer, told to monitor the team’s daily efforts. Jun came into the office every day to make sure everyone was working on the right topic.

“Murtaugh, Oscar, Jun and the entire team at BlueTwelve Studio are truly happy to finally share what we have been working on with so much passion and dedication. Please enjoy our first game everyone and have fun,” developers concluded.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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