The Fox and the Cat () are a pair of fictional characters who appear in Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le avventure di Pinocchio). Both are depicted as con-men, who lead Pinocchio astray and unsuccessfully attempt to murder him. The pair pretend to sport disabilities; the Fox lameness and the Cat blindness. The Fox is portrayed as the more articulate of the two, with the Cat usually limiting itself to repeating the Fox' words.

Role in the book

Pinocchio encounters the two after leaving Mangiafuocos theatre with five gold coins. The Fox claims to know Pinocchio's father Geppetto well, and says that he saw him shivering with cold. The Fox proposes to Pinocchio to come with them to the Land of Barn Owls (Paese dei Barbagianni) where he claims there is a plot of land called the Field of Miracles (Il campo dei Miracoli) where the coins can be planted and grown into a money tree. When Pinocchio hesitates, stating his obligation to attend school, the pair both claim that their respective disabilities were due to their eagerness to study. A white blackbird attempts to warn Pinocchio of their lies, but is quickly eaten by the Cat. The pair lead Pinocchio to the Red Prawn Inn (Osteria del Gambero Rosso), where they eat a large meal and ask to be awoken at midnight. Two hours before the set time, the pair abandon Pinocchio, leaving him to pay for the meal with one of his coins. They instruct the innkeeper to tell Pinocchio that they left after receiving a message stating that the Cat's eldest kitten had fallen ill, and that they would meet Pinocchio at the Field of Miracles in the morning. When Pinocchio leaves the inn, he is attacked by the pair who are disguised as murderers. Pinocchio hides the coins in his mouth, and in the ensuing struggle, Pinocchio bites off the Cat's paw. He is pursued all night by the murderers, who hang him from a tree to force him to disgorge the coins.