Cheshire Cat

"He grins like a Cheshire cat; said of any one who shews his teeth and gums in laughing (Francis Grose, 1788)"Cheshire Cats are a race of talking, magical, mischievous felines in Wonderland. The Writer Charles Lutwidge Dodgson brought them to the eye of the popular public in his books, but the phrase 'to grin like a Cheshire Cat' predates his work. There are many different explanations for the phrase, which are diverse enough to make any cat grin. There are 19 types of Cheshire Cat in Wonderland.

The Cheshire Cats of Wonderland: Powers and Abilities

Cheshire Cats can dissolve and reform from one place to another--sometimes because they need to travel fast, but mostly because it's just fun. No real cage or box will hold them, making them completely useless for Schrodinger's Box experiments. Their portals connect Wonderland with Earth and they appear to prefer living in the forests of Wonderland with all those delightful trees to climb. You can take a Cat by surprise, but they are not easy to sneak up on. Chester could smell the ink from the Shadow Ina Liddell, giving Alice a few precious seconds' warning in her fatal battle. The Cats are merry, grinning, playful creatures and they accept the adoration of Humans happily. Being taunted by a Cat is reminiscent of the Irish proverb,  'The man who cannot laugh should be given a mirror. ' Don't mistake their grinning ways as nonsense; they are very powerful beings. Unlike humans, they can bear loaning their voice to Orpheus, the Founder of Calliope, without coming to harm.

Unlike the books, there are many Cheshire Cats in Wonderland, with separate names and identities. We don't know a lot about them, but if we asked, it is very likely we would just get a grin and the response, "What part of being a Cat do you not understand?" Even for a cat, the Cheshires are mysterious creatures. We know they aren't born with their stipes, but we do not know how they achieve them. After adopting Alice Purcell, Alice became a Cat too. She wears her identity proudly.

Cheshire Cats have multiple lives (possibly 9, but this is not confirmed). They can donate lives to another in need, and when they die another 'life' takes over. They regenerate from their own bodies much like a Phoenix. It is unknown if they are also born like regular cats.

Chester: The Cat who Came Across?

A Cheshire Cat pulled a Kipling and walked by himself, following a portal from Wonderland to Earth. The cat grinned at the sight of Alice and told her she should know better than to send a stranger to meet the Queen, which was quite horrifying as the 'stranger' was Alice's sister Edith, beheaded by the Queen in question. (the cat may have just been delighted to see Alice again; all the cats seem to adore her unilaterally). Its markings are very understated (perhaps still reforming) but it may be the cat later called Chester. Alice refers to him as 'my responsibility'. Charles' constant annoyance of Chester only makes it more fun for him (you'd think the man would know better). He is seen vanishing/reappearing after messing with Charles' office, much like his future life Whisper does with Travis, and his stripes appear separately from his body. Chester is positively identified by name, later, pestering L. Frank Baum and James M. Barrie for attention (Barrie was more of a Cat person), and has three solid stripes in a row across his forehead. Chester is now completely settled into Alice's life, a grinning, faithful companion who allowed The Founder to use his voice when needed in Calliope affairs. He and Alice were murdered by Ina Liddell, but Alice stayed alive long enough to watch him change into Jasper, and shielded him from the cold with her dying body.

Jasper was a wilder, more feral Cheshire Cat. He apparently lived in Liddell Park with the statue of the first recorded Alice. Alice Purcell would visit them both as a troubled child. Jasper grinned in celebration when the Vorpal Sword came to her. Jasper stayed her close friend. He was killed by Vanessa when she became a Ripper, and regenerated into Whisper.

Whisper is very young, though he looks like a fully mature Cat. He is very attached to the Writers of Calliope. He can be found pestering Travis, reading his papers, or basically getting in the way like a cat does. When Elaine Crewe met him, it was love at first sight. This adoration was met with approval by the Cat. He eased her loneliness and the two of them share a love of mischief. Whisper can be often found with Elaine and the Card Soldier Fred, sneaking treats or just enjoying each other's company. Whisper is more timid than his past lives, but to be fair, his last two lives ended in violence. He is not happy with being the voice of Orpheus, but he agreed when Orpheus pleaded. Orpheus calls him "Whisper of Calliope", perhaps to honor the fact that he has died twice in defense of his creation.

All The Cats:
The Cheshire Cats

1.Wonderlandian Blue Tabby

2. Kingstripe

3. Chessland Blue Tabby

4. Moustachu

5. Tail Grinner

6. Blue Dotted

7. Black Tummy Grinner

8. White Tummer Grinner

9.Northern Curlsmile

10. Lovelorn

11. A Little Alice (Alice Purcell)

12. Purple Tabby

13. Skullkitten

14. Ashtouch

15. Spiralback

16. Southern Grinner

17. Moonface. Scram is a Moonface Cat who befriends Nose during his imprisonment in Goblin Market.

18. Clownpaint 19. Inkwell This looks awfully lot like the grinning black cat here... Plus, we have a new Cheshire Cat called Inkbell...

Meet The Family
The Cheshire Cats seen are all Alice's family. This is just as well--the bond between the Alices and the Cats appear to be inevitable and permanent! They are always delighted to see her, and when she visits, she brings treats like Earth Fish.

Uncle Mug

Mug wears a loop over his forehead, and looping stripes across his spine and down his sides, setting him apart from the other Cats. He appears to be the same size as Wani, who is a little smaller than Lex.

Mother Wani is a large Cheshire Cat who can found in the trees. She has a terrible scar across her face and her markings are teardrop eyebrows with a bindi, and looping stripes across her back. She is Alice's mother in ways no one else could be. Her demeanor is calm and nurturing, and when Alice complains of how tiring humans can be, she gently reminds Alice that she is human too. Uncle Lex '''Alice greets him in passing through the portals. ''

Uncle Lex

"Hi, Uncle Lex! Bye, Uncle Lex!Lex is the first Cat we see Alice Purcell address. He is the Cat who originally came up with the plan that he, his younger brother Mug, and sister Wani donate one of their lives to save the mortally wounded Alice Purcell' . While their priority was saving the new Alice's life, the fact that it would ' surely piss off the Queens ' by making an Alliance with her was frosting on the cake--because clearly, the Queens are terrible, terrible people who deserved it. Lex has solid blue spots and stripes on his coat, marking him apart from his siblings.