In Pixar’s “Soul,” the therapy cat that Joe Gardner accidentally swaps souls with is named Mr. Mittens.
After Joe falls into a coma, his soul becomes separated from his body. While trying to return to Earth with the young soul known as 22, a mix-up sends 22 into Joe’s body and Joe into the body of Mr. Mittens, a therapy cat at the hospital. The unusual exchange creates the film’s central comic situation while allowing Joe to experience ordinary life from a completely new perspective.
As Mr. Mittens, Joe travels through New York with 22 inhabiting his human body. He remains close enough to guide her, but he also begins noticing pleasures he previously ignored, including food, wind, music, and conversations with people in his life. The cat’s body makes Joe physically vulnerable and unable to communicate normally, forcing him to reconsider what he thought made life meaningful.
Mr. Mittens is a minor character, so viewers may remember him only as the hospital’s therapy cat. He is not Socks, Boots, or Mr. Whiskers. The cat’s name appears in dialogue and was also used in Disney’s own trivia material about the film.