Pixar short ‘Kitbull’ will make you cry with its unlikely dog-kitten friendship

Oh, you were having a pretty cry-free day, huh? Hit play on Pixar’s newest short and you’ll be a puddle of tears.

Kitbull, directed by Rosana Sullivan and produced by Kathryn Hendrickson, follows the unlikely animal friendship between an abused pitbull and a self-reliant but easily scared stray kitten, set in San Francisco’s Mission District.

It’s not often animation tackles the devastating subject of animal abuse, but Kitbull does with heartbreaking insight. And it’s a 2D animated short, which isn’t the usual realm for Pixar.

“To be fully honest, it started from a cat video … I loved watching cat videos in times of stress,” said Sullivan in a companion video. “At first, I just wanted to draw something that made me feel good and was fun, but it evolved into something more personal to me eventually. 

“Growing up, I was always very sensitive and very shy, and had actually a lot of trouble making connections, making friendship. So I related to this kitten because it never really stepped outside of its comfort zone to be vulnerable and make a connection.”

If you need a little hug after this one, check out Pixar short Purl, another from the studio’s new animation program SparkShorts.