Cozy Kittens
Wide-eyed, useful, and endlessly adaptable, Holt-Howard’s Cozy Kittens prowled through the kitchen, dining room, desk, sewing basket, and bar in one of the company’s broadest character-driven collections. Part 2 explores the rarer and later branches of the line.
Rare and Unusual Cozy Kittens
“Bee Bothered” Kittens
This whimsical two-piece set depicts a pair of Cozy Kittens reacting to fabric bees attached to their bodies by small springs. Each kitten measures approximately 3 inches long. Movement causes the spring-mounted bees to bounce and “dance” around the figures.
The kittens wear Holt-Howard’s familiar plaid decoration as hats and were originally sold as a pair. Complete examples are especially difficult to find because the small springs and fabric bees are vulnerable to loss and deterioration; many surviving sets retain only the ceramic figures or damaged remnants of the original bees.
Full-Bodied Cozy Kitten Planter
This unusual Cozy Kitten planter expands the familiar character into a full-bodied form, with the cat’s rounded head projecting above a textured body that forms the planting well. The piece measures approximately 5½ inches high, 5 inches long, and 3 inches wide.
The form does not appear in the standard Cozy Kittens reference guides, making it one of the more obscure pieces documented by the Archive. Multiple surviving examples confirm the design, but the examples located for this page either lack identification entirely or retain only the Holt-Howard Japan foil label.
Because no dated backstamp has yet been documented on a surviving example, the Archive does not assign a production year to this planter.
Salt & Pepper Shakers with Tail Handles
This is one of the rarest Cozy Kittens shaker sets. Instead of the more familiar forms, these cats use their raised tails as handles for pouring salt and pepper.
John Howard confirmed that Holt-Howard produced the set. It appears to have been a limited test run, likely because it would have competed directly with the company’s already successful musical “meow” shakers. Surviving examples may be unmarked.
The photographed pair wears blue and pink collars with hanging “S” and “P” tags, making their functions immediately identifiable while preserving the exaggerated Cozy Kittens facial styling.
Keeper of the Grease
Holt-Howard created this grease crock after receiving repeated requests for a container specifically intended to hold bacon fat and other cooking fats. The company called it the “Keeper of the Grease.”
The crock was produced in limited quantities and is especially difficult to find today. The container measures approximately 4 inches in diameter.
The photographed example is marked © 1960 HOLT-HOWARD, providing a firm production date for this surviving piece.
Sugar & Creamer
This rare three-piece Cozy Kittens set consists of a covered sugar bowl measuring approximately 5 inches high and a creamer measuring approximately 4 inches high.
The creamer incorporates a lift-and-listen “meow” squeaker, extending Holt-Howard’s sound gimmick beyond the better-known salt-and-pepper shakers.
The photographed set includes pieces marked © 1960 HOLT HOWARD, documenting the production date of this surviving example.
Tea Bag Toters
The Cozy Kittens Tea Bag Toters were originally sold as a five-piece gift set consisting of four ceramic tea-bag holders and a rack.
Each holder measures approximately 3 inches long by 3⅝ inches wide and dates to 1961. The photographed example carries a matching 1961 Holt-Howard backstamp.
The small cat-head dishes were intended to provide a resting place for used tea bags at the table, turning an ordinary serving accessory into another character-driven extension of the Cozy Kittens line.
Pixieware-Style Cozy Kittens
Ketchup
The Cozy Kittens Ketchup jar belongs to a later group of condiment pieces featured in a 1962 Holt-Howard catalog. Ketchup, Mustard, and Jam ’n Jelly formed part of a series of five jars and a cream crock produced in smaller quantities than many earlier Cozy Kittens pieces.
Like Holt-Howard’s Pixieware, the Ketchup jar incorporates an attached utensil into the figural lid. The kitten-headed lid carries a shallow spoon that could also be used as a spreader. The jar stands approximately 5 inches high.
Surviving examples show green airbrushed accents on the body and around the kitten’s face. This condiment series was unmarked, although it was documented in Holt-Howard catalogs.
Mustard
The Mustard jar is another member of the later Cozy Kittens condiment series documented in Holt-Howard’s 1962 catalog. Its form closely parallels the Ketchup jar, but yellow airbrushed accents distinguish the body and kitten lid.
As with Ketchup, the lid carries an attached shallow spoon that could also be used as a spreader, directly echoing the functional gimmick of Holt-Howard’s Pixieware. These condiment jars stand approximately 5 inches high.
These later condiment pieces were not manufactured on the scale of many earlier Cozy Kittens products and are correspondingly harder to find today. The series itself is unmarked.
Jam ’n Jelly
Jam ’n Jelly completes the trio of named condiment jars in this later Cozy Kittens group. It was featured with the related jars and cream crock in a 1962 Holt-Howard catalog.
Unlike Ketchup and Mustard, which use attached spreaders, Jam ’n Jelly carries a scoop-style spoon beneath the kitten-headed lid. The jar stands approximately 5 inches high and is distinguished by pink airbrushed accents around the body and face.
As with the other jars in this group, the series is unmarked despite its documented appearance in Holt-Howard catalogs.
Instant Coffee
Instant Coffee is another member of Holt-Howard’s later Cozy Kittens condiment series. It is distinguished by blue airbrushed splotches on the body and a blue halo surrounding the kitten’s face.
The lid incorporates a scoop spoon and a seal-tight white ring similar to the one used on Holt-Howard’s Pixieware Instant Coffee jar. Like the other jars in this group, it stands approximately 5 inches high.
The condiment series is unmarked, despite its appearance in Holt-Howard catalogs.
Lil’ Sugar & Cream Crock
This uncommon three-piece set pairs a covered Lil’ Sugar jar with a matching Cream Crock. The set appeared in a later Holt-Howard catalog and matches the same Cozy Kittens condiment series as the Ketchup, Mustard, Jam ’n Jelly, and Instant Coffee jars.
The sugar jar stands approximately 5 inches high and uses a kitten-headed scoop lid in the Pixieware style. The Cream Crock measures approximately 2¼ inches high.
The set is uncommon. Surviving examples may retain only Japan labels rather than a Holt-Howard backstamp.
Salt & Pepper Shakers
This later Cozy Kittens salt-and-pepper set appeared after the original musical “meow” shakers and was designed to coordinate with the condiment jars in the same later series. The pair stands approximately 4½ inches high.
The shakers use the same colored-circle decoration seen on the condiment pieces. Their pouring holes are placed on the backs below the necks: the salt has two holes, while the pepper has three.
The set was not produced in large volume, likely in part because it would have competed with the already successful musical Cozy Kittens shakers.
“Meow” Beverage & Serving Pieces
“Meow” Oil & Vinegar
This matched pair of tall cruets turns the Cozy Kittens into a playful tabletop Oil and Vinegar set. The two cats gaze toward one another, with an “O” molded into the front of the Oil cruet and a “V” on the Vinegar cruet. The Vinegar cat wears the familiar green-and-black plaid cap, while Oil is distinguished by a pink polka-dot bow.
Each cruet stands approximately 8 inches high and contains a lift-and-listen sound mechanism in the base that produces the characteristic “meow” when the piece is lifted. The pair was sold together.
“Meow” Pitcher
The tall Cozy Kittens “Meow” Pitcher combines a simple white cylindrical form with a painted female kitten on the front. It measures approximately 7½ inches high and holds 24 ounces.
A lift-and-listen squeaker is built into the base, causing the pitcher to “meow” when lifted. The matching 4-ounce cups were sold separately rather than as part of the pitcher package.
“Meow” Cups
These small handleless cups were designed to accompany the 24-ounce “Meow” Pitcher. Each holds approximately 4 ounces and carries its own lift-and-listen sound mechanism in the base.
The cups were sold two to a box. Their facing kitten illustrations reinforce the paired presentation, with each cat looking toward its companion when the cups are placed side by side.
“Meow” Mug
The standard Cozy Kittens “Meow” Mug uses the same basic tall cylindrical form as the pitcher and cups, with a painted female kitten on the front and a lift-and-listen sound mechanism concealed in the base.
An original Holt-Howard hang tag identifies the piece as No. 5389 Meow Mug and gives its capacity as 10 ounces. Earlier collector guides listed the mug as 8 ounces, but the surviving factory tag provides direct period documentation for the 10-ounce specification. The tag also warns: “DO NOT IMMERSE IN HOT WATER.”
Winky-Blinky “Meow” Mug
This later variation takes the standard “Meow” Mug and adds another mechanical novelty: the kitten’s eyes appear to wink and blink as the mug is moved. The male kitten is also distinguished by a differently shaped blue polka-dot bow.
The mug holds approximately 8 ounces and retains the lift-and-listen “meow” mechanism in the base. The surviving example shown here is backstamped © 1962 Holt Howard, documenting the design several years after the 1960 standard mug.
British Cozy Kittens
British Cheese Board
The British Cozy Kittens Cheese Board appeared in the 1961 John E. Buck Christmas catalog. Its serving surface is bordered with red-and-black plaid decoration and the word “Cheese”, while a pair of Cozy Kittens rises from one end.
The form is related in spirit to the American Cottage Cheese Crock, but the kittens themselves are distinctly British in styling. Published documentation records the board at approximately 5½ inches wide at its widest point, 2¼ inches at its narrowest, 6¼ inches long, and 2¼ inches high to the tops of the kittens.
British Butter Crock
This covered butter piece was made specifically for the British market and appeared in the 1961 John E. Buck Christmas catalog. The lid is topped by a pair of kittens reminiscent of those used on the 1958 American Cozy Kittens Cottage Cheese Crock, while the body is a completely different cylindrical form with plaid border decoration and the word “Butter.”
The piece is known primarily from period catalog documentation. It was described in the first-edition collector guide, and the later British Cozy Kittens section also notes that a covered butter dish had been made solely for the British market.
British Salt & Pepper Shakers
The British Cozy Kittens Salt & Pepper set retains the paired-cat format of the American line but uses British decoration, most notably the male cat’s plaid cap. The pair appeared in the 1962 and 1963 John E. Buck Christmas catalogs.
The photographed set was manufactured in Portugal. Although the base stamp is worn, enough of the word “PORTUGAL” remains visible to confirm the origin. Both shakers were originally fitted with “meow” sound mechanisms in their bases; those mechanisms are missing from this surviving pair.
British Coin Kitty Bank
The male British Coin Kitty wears the familiar plaid cap and carries an English pound sign on the green band around his base. The coin slot is incorporated into the top of the cap.
This bank appeared in the 1962 and 1963 John E. Buck Christmas catalogs. It measures approximately 4 inches high and 3⅝ inches in diameter. Surviving examples are marked Secla Portugal, reflecting the use of Portuguese production for some British Cozy Kittens pieces as demand increased.
British Six Pence Bank
The female counterpart to Coin Kitty was the Six Penny Kitty bank. She wears a green polka-dot scarf, looks to her left, and carries the playful words “SIX PENNY KITTY” around the coin slot on top of her head.
The surviving example shown here is also marked Secla Portugal. Together, the male Coin Kitty and female Six Penny Kitty create a distinctly British pair, replacing the American monetary context with British currency references.
British String Holder
The British String Holder closely follows the American wall-mounted form but differs in its decoration. The British version has darker ear details, a simpler plaid treatment, larger eyelids, and a notably long outer eyelash.
At approximately 4 inches high, it became one of John Buck’s strongest-selling Cozy Kittens pieces. Demand reportedly grew beyond the capacity of the English factory, leading to additional production in Portugal. Surviving examples are documented with a JB mark.
British Memo Minder
The British Memo Minder is closely related to the American version but is immediately distinguished by the placement of its lettering. On the British piece, “Memo Minder” is written across the front of the base, whereas the American version carries the wording on the kitten’s scarf.
The wall-mounted design retains the same basic multifunctional concept as the American model, with molded openings and the kitten’s paws arranged to accommodate memo accessories.
British Bud Vases
The British bud vases adapt the familiar American Cozy Kittens vase form for the John E. Buck line. The female wears a pink polka-dot scarf, while the male is immediately recognizable by his blue plaid cap and matching blue scarf—a marked departure from the traditional green-and-black plaid used on the American male.
Both figures have openings in the tops of their heads for cut flowers. A British auction listing for the pair records a height of 16 cm, or approximately 6¼ inches. These British bud vases do not appear in the known first- or second-edition Cozy Kittens documentation.
Second Generation Cozy Kittens
Grant Holt Associates Cozy Kittens Cookie Jar
Released in 2003, this Grant Holt Associates cookie jar revived the Cozy Kittens for a new generation of collectors. The double-cat design stands approximately 10½ inches high, with the two kittens leaning together above a shared jar body while their tails intertwine on the reverse.
Although the original Holt-Howard line did include the round Pop-Up Cookie Jar documented in Part 1, this later piece represents the first conventional figural Cozy Kittens cookie jar. Its styling deliberately recalls the 1950s cats while introducing later decorative techniques, including airbrushed shading on the paws and tails.
The jar was reportedly a strong seller and sold out quickly after release. Its original packaging identified it simply as a Cozy Kitten Cookie Jar, making this one-off revival a fitting epilogue to the vintage Cozy Kittens story.
Original Packaging
How Cozy Kittens Were Boxed
Surviving packaging adds another layer to the Cozy Kittens story. Rather than relying on plain generic cartons, Holt-Howard used product-specific labels that gave the line a recognizable retail identity. The large red oval Cozy Kitten graphic appears on boxes for pieces such as the twine holder and salt & pepper set, often accompanied by the product name beneath the illustration.
Original cartons also preserve manufacturing and inspection details that are frequently lost once the ceramics are separated from their boxes. A surviving “Bee Bothered” box, for example, carries a red-and-white inspection label reading “PASSED” and “MADE IN JAPAN.” Packaging like this helps confirm how the pieces were sold, grouped, and identified at retail—and is now considerably scarcer than many of the ceramics it once protected.
Conclusion
A Remarkably Broad Family
What began as a group of playful kitchen cats grew into one of Holt-Howard’s broadest and most inventive character families. Cozy Kittens appeared as salt & pepper shakers, condiment jars, serving pieces, sewing and household accessories, banks, wall pieces, novelty “meow” items, and even distinctly British forms produced for the John E. Buck market. The designs changed from piece to piece, but the expressive eyes, exaggerated faces, scarves, plaid accents, and mischievous personality kept the family visually coherent.
The surviving record also shows that the line was more varied than the published collector references could capture. Pieces such as the full-bodied planter and British bud vases have surfaced outside the standard guide documentation, while original packaging, catalog photographs, backstamps, hang tags, and surviving examples have allowed individual products to be dated or described more precisely. In several cases, those surviving objects add details—or useful corrections—to what had previously been published.
The Cozy Kittens story did not end with Holt-Howard’s original production. British variants extended the line overseas, and in 2003 Grant Holt Associates revived the cats in a new figural cookie jar aimed at a later generation of collectors. At the same time, the success of the original line inspired numerous imitators. Those copycats are intentionally kept outside these Cozy Kittens pages so the distinction between Holt-Howard products and look-alikes remains clear; examples and identification help can be found in Collector Resources.
More than six decades after their debut, the Cozy Kittens remain instantly recognizable. Their appeal lies not simply in being cute cats, but in the way Holt-Howard repeatedly turned ordinary household objects into miniature characters with humor, motion, sound, and personality. Few lines better illustrate the company’s talent for making useful objects feel alive.