FC Barcelona presents CAT mascot: new member of the blaugrana family on the occasion of 125th anniversary

At today's 125th-anniversary gala in the Liceu opera house, FC Barcelona unveiled its commemorative mascot. Called CAT, the character is a wildcat, an indigenous feline of Catalonia, embodying the spirit of the club in its very essence. CAT is very much a Culer, so charismatic, innovative, leading, demanding, creative, and inclusive qualities naturally guided its design and conception. 

The creation process was a lengthy and inspiring journey, led by FC Barcelona’s Identity department, which oversees all matters related to the Barça brand and was hence determined to embed the essence of the club in the final product. The club worked closely with the renowned Grangel Studio, run by two brothers of the same name, Jordi and Carlos, and based very close to Spotify Camp Nou. The studio has collaborated in the past with such major international names as DreamWorks, Sony and Universal Pictures on the creation of big hits like Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and Pinocchio, and has worked with such world-renowned directors as Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton, winning on Oscar for their contribution to Pinocchio and an Annie for Spirit.

CAT has no specific gender, being either male and female and hence a symbol of modernity and inclusiveness. The mascot is a friendly, positive puss that is especially passionate about football, but also embraces all sports that are part of FC Barcelona’s multi-sport ethos, whether male or female, pro or amateur. A key feature its love for engaging with children and, although the cat can't speak, it has extremely expressive gestures, a 100% blaugrana smile and sparkling eyes.

FC Barcelona identity embedded in its essence

One of things that makes this new member of the blaugrana family so special is how it was moulded out of one the most emblematic symbols in Barça history, the club crest. CAT thus honours its Catalan roots, and not just in name, but also in its pride for the famous club that represents the city of Barcelona so gracefully around the world. The angles of the crest give shape to its ears, while the forms of the cheeks and wide, grinning mouth also appear in the crest itself. 

The club's colours are also embedded in its DNA, inspired by the crest, with blue and claret taking centre stage, alongside yellow and white, among others. In keeping with the club's celebration of its Catalan identity, the four red stripes on a yellow background of the national flag appear on its forehead, with the Barça colours on its mouth, and not forgetting the ball, which is also taken from the crest.

The team responsible for designing the mascot and bringing it to life were DDT Efectos Especiales, founded by David Martí and Montse Ribé. This company has worked on major productions like The Orphanage, The Skin I Live In and A Monster Calls, among others. In 2007, they won the greatest honour in the industry, an Oscar for their work on Pan’s Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Last year they received yet another nomination, this time for Juan Antonio Bayona’s Society of the Snow.

From today, this new member of the blaugrana family will be present at various sporting and institutional events at the club, including tomorrow's Liga fixture at the Estadi Olimpic Lluís Companys against UD Las Palmas, where it is due to play a starring role. CAT will also have its own social media accounts on Instagram and TikTok, where all of its activities can be followed (@catculer).

Mascot in a sensory frame

The club has always been highly committed to inclusion and accessibility by launching initiatives that are adapted and accessible for everyone. Throughout the creation process of the new 125th anniversary mascot, this commitment was especially important. In collaboration with ONCE (the National Organisation of the Blind in Spain), a sensory frame has been created to make the mascot accessible to blind and visually impaired people, enabling them to "see" the mascot through touch.

This raised frame was also presented at the 125th anniversary gala, which screened a video of a Barça player and a member of Barça Genuine collecting the gift from ONCE, and with blind and visually impaired children explaining how they perceive the mascot. Different textures were used to represent the parts of the face and body, ensuring they are the right size to be perceived with the fingertips. Safe, durable, easy-to-clean materials were used, and chromatic contrasts were applied to distinguish the elements of the frame, with particular emphasis on the specific textures associated with the blaugrana colours to highlight FC Barcelona’s signature shades.