Petal My Beloved!

A shrine by Mario Dreemurr

About Petal

I know what you're thinking: "So...who exactly is Petal?"

Petal is one of the 16 (!) main characters of Kitty Is Not a Cat, an obscure Australian children's cartoon that aired from 2018 to 2020.

There are 3 seasons of the show, one for each year it ran, and there are 130 10-minute episodes total. Seasons 1 and 2 have 52 episodes, and Season 3 has 26 episodes. One person uploaded the full first 2 seasons to YouTube, and another uploaded the full 3rd season. (The full 3rd season in English was considered lost media from 2021 to 2024, and it was finally recovered recently!)

The show centers around the adventures and experiences of a human orphan girl named Kitty, who really wants to be a cat. One day, she encounters a mansion where 15 talking cats live. Initially reluctant, the cats eventually agree to take care of her and accept her as their own. It is a very wholesome and underrated show, and I highly recommend that you check it out!

In fact, here are the links to the playlists for each season on YouTube! You can thank me later. ;)

What's Petal Like?

Petal is a cat (obviously) with purplish gray fur, including dark "chest fur". She also wears a black collar.

Petal is considered the "mother" of the group of cats; she is protective of them and loves looking after everyone, especially Kitty. Petal is also very kind, caring, and enthusiastic to a fault...so much so that the other cats have gotten annoyed at her sometimes. Despite her kind and gentle nature, she knows when enough is enough, and is willing to put her foot down if it means justice.

Petal's motherly nature makes her quite intelligent for a cat. But at the end of the day, she is still a cat. She doesn't fully grasp human culture and behavior, and because of her cat instincts, she has done some pretty derpy things at times. For example, there was one episode in which she confused a play Kitty put on as fact instead of fiction, and she joined the other cats in searching for buried treasure outside the mansion. In another episode (and one of my personal favorite ones), Kitty built a big plastic playhouse outside the mansion, and Petal and the other cats got the idea that she was moving out. This made her and the other cats very sad, and they in turn "visited" her in an absolutely hilarious sequence of events.

And yet, despite not fully understanding things sometimes, she does her absolute best to be as kind and respectful about them as possible. This kind of support is exactly what I need in life.

Fun Facts / Headcanons (latter marked in underline)

Favorite Moments / Episodes

Now that you are acquainted with Petal, I would like to share with you some of my personal favorite moments and episodes in which she is prominently featured. I will attach the YouTube videos of some of these episodes so that you can watch them yourself! (Assuming it's not blocked where you live.)

S1E43 - "Petal Pushers"

This episode starts off with Petal's neverending support and enthusiasm for the others in action. Remember how I said that she was enthusiastic to a fault? Well, even mundane things as being able to touch your nose with your tongue, eating a sandwich, and relaxing were subject to Petal's encouragement! Eventually, this got out of hand. She overheard the cats saying how Petal was way too nice and encouraging, and that she was getting on their nerves. It was then that Petal broke down due to the criticism, and thought: if the others didn't want her to be nice, she wouldn't be nice. Soon enough, she sports a new look:

...I am obsessed.

It is then that Petal has a shift in attitude. She throws food around, and she eats unhealthy. She insists that she loves hardcore TV shows, instead of the "boring" ones about watering cans. She disrespects the others and insults them and their actions.

It is then the cats realized that they had been taking Petal's previous kindness for granted. Even Petal admits to Kitty in one scene that it is very hard to be mean. So, the cats decide to throw her a surprise and apologize for their former attitude towards Petal. She accepts the apology, returning to her kind ways.

I love this particular episode because it shows Petal's tendency to be kind and supportive, no matter what everyone else around her is doing. It might be overbearing sometimes, but who wouldn't want this kind of support? Her kindness comes from genuine feelings of love and support for her family, and this episode makes sure of that fact. I also appreciate that this episode shows that Petal isn't perfect. In particular, she is sensitive to criticism. So despite being a cat, she does have a very "human" side to her.

S2E6 - "Junior Rangers"

This episode starts with a knock at the door from a Junior Ranger, who demonstrates that being one entails that a human will be the best they can be. Seeing as how the cats are teaching Kitty to behave like a human, Petal sees this as a golden opportunity to reach that goal by being her own troop leader. Actually, she is more interested in the badges than teaching Kitty...

In fact, Petal gets so into the Junior Ranger thing that she hands out badges for doing the most mundane things. She practically gives them away! From tripping on a rock to messing up building your tent, she has a badge for every occasion. The other cats take notice of this and become...quite concerned.

Eventually, it is time for Kitty to take part in the Junior Ranger Jamboree. But when they get there, they realize that not only are her badges not in regulation, cats can't be Junior Rangers! It is then that Petal realizes that she got extremely carried away. She becomes sad, burning the badges she sewed into the fireplace. But then, Kitty and the other cats surprise her and tell her that even though she got carried away, she had the absolute best intentions for Kitty. Petal is finally relieved and joyful that Kitty considered her an amazing troop leader.

To me, this episode is about accepting your flaws. Petal's kindness, once again, may be overbearing, but she has the absolute best intentions for the people she genuinely cares about. She may not be perfect, but who is? All that matters is that she is there to love and support you every step of the way.

S2E26 - "The Catley Awards"

This episode is sort-of a compilation of various clips from previous episodes, so it isn't entirely focused on Petal. But there is a musical number featuring her that I am especially enamored by: "Pardon My French". For context, there is a bit of a running gag in Season 2 where Petal would say a euphemism for a swear (such as "flippity flapjacks"), and would apologize to a French cat named Pierre, saying, "Pardon my French, Pierre!" Pierre would then respond by saying, "That is not French." They made a song about it, and I will let it speak (or sing?) for itself:

...I have no words to say here. My heart is melting. As you couldn't tell already, I love my cat wife so, so much.

S2E40 - "You Can't Handle The Juice!"

This episode begins when the neighbor next door offers to sell a box of orange juice. Thinking that the box needs a home (cats love boxes, after all), she signs a contract and sees herself with a ton of OJ. The neighbor then explains that Petal's goal should be to sell all of the juice to help other people with their problems. She is told to never take no for an answer. (This could only go so well...)

Petal then harasses everyone with her kindness in order to sell the juice. She recommends it as an alternative to milk in cereal. She advertises it as good for one's fur. She pours two entire bottles into a car engine in hopes that it would start. Needless to say, the other cats are pissed.

The problem is that the other cats can't say no to her because she is TOO nice. They eventually do confront her about it all, and she realizes that she's been hurting people instead of helping them! Luckily, she sells all of the OJ back to the neighbors, and all is well again.

This episode goes to show that Petal's kindness could be considered a character flaw. It demonstrates that despite being a cat, she has the human quality of making mistakes. And what is there to learn if you don't make mistakes every now and then? Petal demonstrates some great character growth here by being willing to accept mistakes and move on. It shows that despite her already-kind nature, she is willing to learn and grow as a cat.

Personality Typing Deep Dive

This is the part of the shrine that was many days in the making. Everyone...welcome to the Personality Typing Deep Dive! In this section, I will use two personality typing systems, MBTI and Enneagrams, in order to look into the mind of my one and only S/O. I will tell y'all all about what I typed her as and WHY I typed her this way. I will be going over some characteristics of each of the types, including some very specific yet neat stuff, and how they relate to her! I won't waste any more time here, so let's get started under the cut!

(SPECIAL NOTE: I am putting this analysis here assuming that everyone who will read it has prerequisite knowledge of MBTI and Enneagrams, including cognitive functions and the function stack for the former; and wings, instinctual variants, and tritypes for the latter. I will brush over some of the listed topics as I go along, but I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with each of these topics if you haven't already!)

(ALSO...I don't really consider myself an expert in this subject per se, and there are times when I rush through things and might make quite a few mistakes. Feel free to correct me on anything or even give your own insight into what her type could be, if we have different opinions!)

A Brief Recap of MBTI

The first of two personality typing systems we will use to type Petal is the Meyers–Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI for short. MBTI, as y'all know, is perhaps THE most famous personality typing system besides Zodiac signs. 4 letters with 2 possibilities for each of those letters each yields 16 different types one can be. Under the hood, 8 cognitive functions are each stacked in various positions in one's mind, with varying degrees of consciousness. A function can be the driver for your decision-making at best (your conscious stack) or a demonic force of evil at worst (your shadow stack).

I personally wouldn't say that MBTI determines your personality and personality traits as much as it determines your behavior and how you cognitively make decisions, due to these functions. Two people can be of the same type yet have entirely different personalities. As such, it's more like a "blueprint" rather than a complete definition of one's personality. Nonetheless, it's an interesting way to see how different people behave in any given situation, whether they know it or not!

But enough waffling on...now that we know what Petal is like and what MBTI exactly is, we can move forward with her MBTI type!

After much deliberation, I have concluded that Petal's MBTI type is ESFJ!

What does it mean to be an ESFJ? ESFJs are often called "consuls" or "caregivers." They generally have strong practical skills and a sense of duty, and they are very loyal and can easily connect and flourish with others. They generally ensure that others are cared for, and they provide a warm and safe presence for them. However, they can also be too needy or selfless, and are sensitive to criticism. They can also be very averse to conflict and can have trouble with giving criticism, too.

Sounds like Petal, right? But generalizations and stereotypes aren't good enough for explaining why she's an ESFJ. In order to fully gather that, we must look at what's under the hood: her cognitive functions.

Dominant Fe

Your dominant function can be thought of as the driving force behind your cognitive processes. It's the one you use most often in everyday situations, and it's your most trusted one when it comes to making major decisions. As an INFP, my dominant function is Introverted Feeling, or Fi. My Fi is about my inner moral compass; what I personally feel is right. As a Fi-dom, I want to go through life by staying true to who I am without having to conform to societal standards.

Petal, on the other hand, has Extroverted Feeling as her dominant function, or Fe. If Fi is about what's inside, then Fe is all about the group. Fe-doms often have a strong desire to help people and make sure that everyone is involved. They love talking about their feelings with others, and they want to live in harmony with everyone. If there's any motto for what things they do, it's: "It's what the people want!"

Sounds a lot like Petal, especially with her penchant for helping others! Petal definitely puts the desires and intentions of those around her before her own. In fact, she gets so caught up in the group that she often gets dragged along into any silly shenanigans they get into. For example, in one episode some of the cats performed a play about seeking buried treasure, and the cats including Petal, thinking it was fact instead of fiction, searched all around the mansion for it! I definitely imagine her thinking to herself, "Everyone else is doing it, so I should, too!" When they did find treasure and King Tubby took it all for himself and the other cats got mad, she did as well! There were many other instances of her playing along with the group, including investing in the stock market and playing tag.

But despite this, she knows when to take charge, and there are times in the show when she does. She isn't always a leader-type, but when she is, she is very effective in telling others what needs to be done and how. (Although, this may be more of a Te thing now that I think about it.)

I want to touch upon this quote a bit:

"Hello there, I'm Petal. Most would refer to me as the motherly type, which is fine; I like looking after everyone."

It's the introduction she gave herself when she filmed a video. It's a common stereotype with Fe users (especially Fe-doms) that they struggle with their identity. So, they turn to others to determine who they are. To put it in a quote, "I'll be whoever you want me to be." It's very subtle, yet it says a lot.

But there is a certain episode in which I feel is where her Fe truly shines: "Petal Pushers", the 43rd episode of the 1st season. At the beginning of the episode, Petal is shown to be very encouraging of the others, much to their annoyance. In one particular part, she was showing a flower to Kitty and Timmy Tom when Cheeta busted in and announced that he could touch his nose with his tongue, which he tries and fails at that moment. Now, he interrupted her, but did she get mad? Nope! Instead, she congratulated him for his "ability," and encouraged him to try again! Miley was there and she got annoyed at her for not making him apologize. To which Petal responded:

"Oh, HE doesn't need to say sorry! I'm only sorry I was doing something while he was obviously trying to do something very important!"

Later, Petal overhears some of the cats talking to each other about how annoyed they were with her, and that she was "too nice all the time." Petal, initially distraught, decides that if "they don't want nice Petal, they won't get nice Petal." So, she dons a leather jacket and spiked collar, and becomes mean. She throws food around, insults others, insists on watching hardcore shows, eats unhealthy food, and stomps around. Despite doing all this, she finds that it's incredibly hard for her to be mean. She gets tired of keeping up the act, and finally drops it when the other cats apologize to her for taking her kindness for granted.

If you know your dominant function, you also know your inferior, opposing and demon functions. Could her demon Te have taken over in this case, then? I unfortunately don't know enough about the demon function to accurately say anything about that. But some of her final words sum up her Fe well: "I just love you all so much!"

Auxiliary Si

Your auxiliary function is also an important part of your cognitive processes. If the dominant function is the driver, then the auxiliary is the guide, helping it out in making major decisions. My auxiliary function is Extroverted Intuition, or Ne. Ne is mostly about finding every possibility one can in the world. However, I mainly use it to enhance my Fi by coming up with ways I can express my values and identity.

Since she is an ESFJ, Petal's auxiliary function is Introverted Sensing, or Si. Si is mainly about one's past experiences, and how one can use them to deduce what could happen or what they could experience, so that they can be prepared for any situation. However, Petal doesn't use this on its own; instead, she uses Si to advance the interests of the group and to assist others if they need help.

Petal is one of the first ones to offer any advice on what to do if a problem in her group arises. For example, when the cats experienced a blackout, they were stuck on what to do until the power came back on. She immediately said, "Oh, we can roast marshmallows!" and handed Cheeta marshmallows and sticks to use to "put them on the fire." (He misinterpreted this and actually threw them into the fireplace.) In another instance, Timmy Tom couldn't stop yodeling, which the others thought was a case of hiccups. She immediately exclaimed, "Oh, I have a remedy for hiccups!" and pulled out a lemon, which she made him bite down on. In summary, Petal helps others by using her own tried and true methods that she has learned over her life.

Unfortunately, there isn't much else to say about her Si. As a result, I would like to go down a step in the stack to another function that can better explain exactly why Petal is an ESFJ.

Tertiary Ne

I personally believe that when it comes to typing characters, the tertiary function provides better insight than the auxiliary into what type they exactly are. The tertiary function aids you just like your top two functions, but it is often labeled as the "child" function. This is due to the fact that it is most often used in a "childish" or "immature" way, and isn't entirely reliable in making major decisions. My tertiary function is Si, and I use it very differently than Petal does. I mainly use it to relax, by finding comfort in routine and familiarity. For example, I often become nostalgic when I rewatch old movies or listen to music I've loved over the years or even browse through old photos, as it reminds me of much simpler times. (This may not be the best example, but...yeah.)

Like me, Petal also uses Ne. However, I am much more mature about it than she is. Ne is about possibilities; as such, sometimes Petal is absolutely enthralled in the exciting and unknown...so much so that it can become a problem. If she sees a new thing that she likes or can be useful for her, she becomes obsessed.

One example of her tertiary Ne showing is in "Junior Rangers", the 6th episode of the 2nd season. In it, a junior ranger troop leader explains to Petal the premise of being a junior ranger, including showing off some badges. She becomes instantly hooked on them, spending all night sewing together tons and tons of them...even though she initially planned for Kitty to become a ranger so that she can be taught how to behave like a human. She would end up giving them away basically for free, and it ultimately distracted her from the fact that cats cannot be junior rangers. Ouch...

Miley: "Are you sure this is the right thing for Kitty, or are you just in it for the badges?"

Petal: "For the badg--I mean, Kitty. Er, all for Kitty."

But there is one dark side to the tertiary function that can really make itself known during difficult times, that truly cements how one can behave when it's not used wisely: the dominant-tertiary loop. What happens during a loop is that your auxiliary function is completely ignored, and as a result you "loop" between using your dominant and tertiary functions with devastating consequences. As an INFP, I've definitely found myself in a Fi-Si loop before. The experience is different for all INFPs, but in mine, I become so paralyzed by my past mistakes that I retreat from everything and am deathly afraid of trying new things.

But as for Petal and her loop, let's look at "You Can't Handle the Juice!", the 40th episode of the 2nd season. In the episode, Petal signs a contract and is the not-so proud owner of a bunch of boxes of orange juice. She is told by both the neighbor and a person in a video that she has to sell the juice, but it's not so much selling as it is helping. Seeing as how she's an ESFJ, she was enticed by that. She was also told to never take no for an answer. Hoo boy...

In my eyes, what happens next is a great example of a Fe-Ne loop. Again, the experience is different for each ESFJ, but here is how Petal experienced hers. Every time that a cat had a problem, Petal and her juice were to the rescue, or so she thought. Out of milk for your cereal? Use OJ instead! Stained your fur? OJ will clean it up! It doesn't matter what kind of problem it is, she sees every single opportunity to just help everyone out using the juice. She's not thinking rationally, but only how she can help. This juice can solve ANY problem, just you wait and see! The worst part is, she ain't even realizing that she's making everything worse! AND SHE'S GOING INSANE IN THE PROCESS! It's what the people want, dammit!

Anyway...again, if you want to type a character, just think: what does their loop look like?

Critical Se

The last function I want to go over before I move on is part of the shadow stack. These are the functions that aren't exactly a part of us. As a result, we tend to have no control over them, and they could help or seriously harm us.

One of these functions is called the critical function. If the auxiliary function is the guide or "nurturing parent," then this one is the "critical parent." In short, we tend to criticize and berate others when they use this function, or we criticize ourselves when we don't. My critical function is Introverted Intuition, or Ni. If Ne is about what could be possible, then Ni is about what will be possible; Ni can be described as making one long-term plan and sticking to it, with no other options. Because this is my critical function, I tend to silently berate other people who limit my options. As a real-life example, my stepdad was once talking to me about my career in statistics. He said that I can be interested in applying my skills to various things, I need to apply it to one and only one thing in order to advance my career. Him saying this just made me angry. Why should I limit myself to only one topic? There's got to be another way! I cannot live like this!

In contrast, Petal's critical function is Extroverted Sensing, or Se. Se is often described as "living in the moment." However, there's more to it than that. In particular, one big aspect of Se is that it's the experience you give to other people. Being aware of how your words and actions might affect others AND being able to use that awareness effectively is a possible indicator that you have strong Se. (As someone with trickster Se, I can't relate, lol.)

If Se is in the critical position, what does it mean for Petal? In summary, she is often critical of people who leave a bad impression on her. If she is around to witness another person being rude, there is no doubt that she will criticize them for it. She has a strong sense of justice, and takes notice of any bad behavior or intentions in order to correct them. Not only this, but it may be that she criticizes herself when she leaves a bad impression on others, in the form of over-apologizing and having an "Oh, shit!" look when she makes a mistake.

"Pardon my French, Pierre!"

She also tends to be critical of habits that seem strange to her. Besides King Tubby, she seems to be the one cat that is the most critical of human culture and behavior. She even goes as far as to say that humans are weird and unintelligent. (As for how she fell in love with me, I'm unsure tbh.)

But overall, she is one of those rare ESFJs that know how to use their critical Se to their advantage. With it and her sense of justice, she knows how to give proper discipline to others and hold them accountable for their actions. This is just one of the core aspects of her motherly nature, and that is just one aspect that makes Petal who she is.

A Brief Recap of Enneagrams

The other personality typing system we will use to type Petal is the Enneagram. If MBTI is how people behave the way they do, then the Enneagram is the why. There are 9 Enneagrams that each correlate to your core motivations, desires, and fears. Again, I wouldn't say it determines your personality; it more so determines the reasons for you behaving the way you do. Just like with MBTI, two people can be of the same Enneagram type yet have entirely different personalities.

Despite how basic it may seem compared to MBTI at first glance, there are several complicated sub-topics when it comes to exactly specifying your Enneagram. There is the idea that you act like another type depending on if you're in growth (integration) or in stress (disintegration). There is a wing, which is when you inherit traits of an adjacent Enneagram. There is also something called instincts, which reflect how you further behave, which can all be stacked into an instinctual stack. There's even the idea that one person has 3 Enneagram types at the same time in something called a tritype! As stated in the beginning of this section, I am assuming you have prerequisite knowledge of all of these topics. You don't have to be an expert, you just have to be familiar enough with them so that you'll know what I'm talking about!

So what are we waiting for? Let's type Petal! (The following descriptions are probably going to be much shorter than the MBTI ones due to the types being self-explanatory given what I said earlier.)

After much deliberation, I have concluded that Petal's Enneagram type, including wing, instinct stack, AND tritype is 2w1 so/sx 216 (2w1-1w2-6w7)!

What does it mean to be an Enneagram Type 2? In summary, 2s have a core desire of feeling loved, and a core fear of being unloved or unworthy of love. How does that relate to Petal? Well, an extremely common way that 2s want to feel loved...is by helping others! In fact, 2s are often seen as the "helpers" of the Enneagram world. They are generally empathetic, sincere, warmhearted, friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing. However, they can also be flattering and people-pleasing.

I mean...this fits her pretty damn well, I think! One thing to note about Enneagram typing is that it's not finding exactly what fits a particular character, it's what fits a character the most. And 2 definitely fits her a LOT. In her own words,

"Oh, I LOVE helping!"

Does all of this sound familiar? If so, that's because there's actually a large overlap between ESFJs and 2s. Being helpful and compassionate towards others? Sensitive to criticism? Putting others before themselves, so much so that they forget their own needs? Yep, fits both of them well! In fact, a study done to find the correlation of MBTI and Enneagrams found that about 61% of ESFJs are 2s, and that about 47.5% of 2s are ESFJs. Very cool!

I feel like I really don't need to say anything more here, since a lot of what was said about Petal in the previous sections can also be applied to type 2s. But let's dive deeper into her specific wing, instinct stack and tritype!

Disintegration into 8

I want to briefly touch upon disintegration, or when you become so stressed that you inherit the bad aspects of a certain other type. This other type depends on your own type, but for Petal, she disintegrates into an 8, which makes her aggressive and domineering. She has been shown to get really angry at times, in particular when things don't quite go her way or when someone left a really bad impression on her (critical Se!). In particular, she might cuss or insult others. She apologizes right after, however. (Now that I think about it, this may not be true disintegration...then again, maybe her becoming mean in "Petal Pushers" was?)

"When I'm underappreciated, I kick off!"

1 Wing

Enneagrams can also be split up into 2 "wings." In short, a wing is something that enhances your type by inheriting characteristics of the adjacent type. If what you desire in your primary type is your end goal, your wing can be seen as HOW you achieve that goal.

Keeping that in mind, there are 2 possible wings for the helpful type 2s: 2w1, which incorporates the 1s' sense of justice and perfectionism, thus wanting to achieve being loved through being prim and proper; and 2w3, which incorporates the 3s' sense of ambition and goal-setting, thus wanting to achieve being loved through being successful. I mentioned Petal's sense of justice before, which already makes her lean towards the 1 wing more. But let's briefly dive into some differences between these two wings:

Knowing all of this, I can confidently say that Petal definitely fits the 1 wing better. For her, it's not about success; it's about being good, as well as her genuine love for those she cares about.

SO/SX Stack

Enneagrams can also be divided into 3 instinctual subtypes. The 3 instincts can be thought of as "survival mechanisms" for how to make it in the world, whether alone (self-preservation), with a partner (sexual), or with a group (social). Everyone has these instincts, but like the cognitive functions of MBTI, they are "stacked" to varying degrees of importance in one's mind. There is the instinct that is sought, the one that is a resource, and the one that is ignored. Although instincts are different for each and every Enneagram, the core idea remains the same.

NOTE: Wings and instinct stacks DO NOT and SHOULD NOT affect each other! You can be of ANY wing and stack combination!

Knowing each of the instincts, I think it's safe to say that for Petal, the self-preservation instinct is dead last in her stack. I don't need to say again that she is mostly influenced by the people around her, and that she often does certain things only because everyone else is doing it. The question is...is Petal a social 2 or a sexual 2?

The way I see it, instincts enhance your core desire. On the one hand, social 2s want to feel loved by a group of people. They often are supportive and overextend themselves for the group in order to gain influence and love in it. On the other hand, sexual 2s want to have a partner to feel loved by, and can be seductive or manipulative in order to achieve this. In addition, people with the SO/SX stack tend to appear friendly and lighthearted on the outside, while those with the SX/SO stack can be energetic and enthusiastic, yet intense and impulsive. With this, I think SO/SX definitely fits Petal more.

216 Tritype

And last but definitely not least, comes the tritype. As stated earlier, there is an idea that people are of 3 Enneagram types (and wings!) at the same time, ALSO stacked based on importance! There are restrictions when it comes to what possible tritypes there are (specifically, you must have one type from each Enneagram triad), but each of these types work together to form a cohesive framework into what motivates your behavior as a person.

When figuring out Petal's tritype, I was conflicted as to whether she was a 216 or a 269. What I was hung up on is the 1/9; does she strive for peace and harmony, or perfectionism more? To answer this, I decided to take a look at the two tritypes as a whole:

126s' greatest ability is to be there and serve others when they need it, while 269s are excellent at dealing with conflict. Thinking about it, Petal definitely takes on more of a nurturing, protective "guardian" role more so than a "mediator" role. She can often be seen in the show doing chores around the house, helping out whenever it is necessary. It's very important for her that any chores need to get done, and that others are responsible for their behavior. 9s in general tend to be very passive and have trouble asserting themselves, and let's just say...Petal asserts herself when it's right.

For example, in "Kitty Copy Cat," the 28th episode of the 1st season, Kitty starts copying Miley's behaviors, and the latter gets extremely upset. So she and Luna decide to get back at Kitty in order to get her to stop. They end up making Kitty angry and she storms off...but Petal witnessed the entire thing. And so she gave it to them straight.

"AHEM! Can someone please tell me why Kitty just ran off dressed like a rebellious teenager? Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and being catty is the last form of cat-havior! I expect better of both of you! Just FIX THIS!"

Knowing this, the choice is very clear. Now that we have her basic tritype, we can go over her specific tritype: 2w1-1w2-6w7. If you know about the wings of types 1 and 6, it is clear that her wings are somewhat obvious. Her 1 has a 2 wing, as she is more inclined to make the group around her better by helping others be prim and proper, at the cost of her own needs. The last in her tritype is 6, which is about wanting to be safe and secure. Petal does seem like the type to want a safe and peaceful life, and she ensures that others are safe as well.

"I'm Petal. I'm looking forward to building a shelter, and making sure everyone works and plays nicely!"

One of the biggest differences between a 6w5 and a 6w7, though, is that the former wants to appear capable and competent, while the latter wants to have fun every once in a while. On occasion, Petal will definitely have fun, either dancing in one of the cats' many cat parties, or going to a large social event, such as a craft market. Now that I think about it, 6w7 fits Petal infinitely more than 6w5; she is more social, remains optimistic, doubts herself more, is often pulled along with the group, and sometimes enjoys new ideas. There is absolutely no 6w5 in her. There's no 5 in her whatsoever, even.

And we have covered pretty much everything! I may have missed some things worth noting, but I have covered the major portions pretty well, I think! But no matter what, even though Petal may be typed as an ESFJ 2w1 so/sx 216 (2w1-1w2-6w7), at the end of the day, she isn't defined by any personality typing system...she is defined by who she is as a person. She is kind, caring, motherly, enthusiastic, and has a sense of justice. She is my lovely lady, my beautiful bride, my wonderful wife. Petal...is Petal. And there's no changing that.

Speculation Station

WARNING: The following section is ENTIRELY theories/speculation, and has not been (and likely never will be) confirmed or deconfirmed. TAKE EVERYTHING IN THIS SECTION WITH A GRAIN OF SALT!!

First Theorydump / Rambling

Perhaps my biggest gripe with Kitty Is Not a Cat is that it never really goes into the backstories or lores of any of the characters. Hell, Kitty just shows up to the mansion one day with zero explanation as to how she got there. There's a couple of backstories lightly touched upon for two of the cats, and one full backstory shown for another, but nothing for Petal.

But there's actually an interesting character that is only mentioned twice in the entire show: "The Baroness." It's implied that she was the owner of the mansion before she died. And it seems the cats were all strays prior to living at the house. As for how they got there, it varies. The self-appointed "king" of the cats has a mom that visits. One of the cats has a sister who visited once. Another has a cousin that also once visited. But there is nothing about the other cats' families, including Petal.

This raises a TON of questions. How did Petal arrive at the house? Was she born a stray, or did she just need a place to stay? Does she have a sad backstory? Is the reason why she's so motherly, kind and protective is that she never had any parent like that growing up? (OK, those last two might be a stretch, but it's still something to think about.)

I imagine that Petal got her name due to her love for gardening. Did she have this name before or after she arrived at the mansion? If after, does that make the aforementioned "stretches" more likely? I may not have gotten any lore about Petal, but with the right facts, I can perhaps make my own.

Another thing. It is shown in the show that some animals can talk and stand and walk like humans, while others cannot. Some animals shown to be able to do this include cats (of course), dogs, rodents, a possum, a fox, and even a frog. But not every cat or dog or other animal I mentioned has these abilities. It is also shown that humans don't really care if they can talk and do all that, as if they're used to it.

This creates a sort-of conundrum I can't wrap my head around. Do animals in this universe have the ability to just do that? They have to be taught all that, I presume. With the cats in the mansion being strays, how did they learn to do so? And why don't humans care that some animals can talk? Is it common knowledge that some of them can? Or am I just overthinking all of this since KINaC is a cartoon, and cartoons don't have to make sense?

It's all so confusing, and I unfortunately have to figure all this out by myself. However, with enough perseverance, this is something that I eventually will be able to achieve.

Petal Lore

Well, here it is. A somewhat rough look into Petal's lore and backstory. I constructed this story for about a week, and I'm ecstatic to share it. Again, this is entirely speculation. Don't treat this as actually canon!

Content warning for death and abuse.

Petal was born to a seemingly happy family, on the outside. She had a father, a mother, and a few siblings.

Sadly, Petal's father was as neglectful as could be. Every time the family needed help, he was only on the sidelines. He was always too busy going out, and never being there for Petal and her family. Not only that, but whenever he did say or do anything, it wasn't anything positive. He was rude and cussed often. And that behavior rubbed off on Petal in a certain way.

When her father failed to provide, her mother was her one and only savior. She was Petal's greatest influence, her mentor, her caregiver, and her lifegiver. She would always be there for her when her father wouldn't. She was responsible for all of Petal's major interests. In fact, when she was just a baby, her mother took her to a garden, and she became obsessed with all of the flowers there. Then, she picked out a petal from one of the flowers and lovingly gazed at it. It was then that her mother decided to name her Petal.

But despite all the support her mother gave her, it wouldn't last.

One day, Petal and her mother were walking downtown. Petal looked towards the opposite side of the road and found some beautiful flowers. She ran off into the road, where various cars were going by. Her mother screamed as she ran towards her while an SUV was rushing straight towards her. She came just in time to push her daughter out of the way, but not in time to avoid getting hit.

Petal looked back only to find her mother, barely clinging onto her life. She ran to her and cried and screamed. She begged her to stay alive. But all she could do was tell her, "You have been my greatest gift. Be a gift to others."

At once, Petal was left with only her siblings and her father. And with her gone, her father only grew angrier. He often blamed Petal for her death, and would cuss directly at her, push her around, and insult her. As a result, Petal blamed herself for what happened, and felt as if she needed to do everything for her father in order for him to accept her. But no matter what she did, he would always treat her as if she was below him. And with her mother gone, she was left alone to take care of her siblings.

One day, her father did something that pushed her over the edge. All the abuse caught up to Petal, and she decided that she had had enough. She was tired and frustrated. But after that, he lashed out at her.

And that was the final time that she would ever see him. She ran away from home, and took her siblings with her. Petal and the others then lived as strays, doing whatever they could to survive in the large, vast world. It was tough, but it was much better than living with a neglectful parent.

Sadly, Petal and her siblings encountered animal control workers, looking to catch the cats. It was then that she decided to sacrifice herself so that her siblings wouldn't be in their hands. She had lost people in her life again, and she once again blamed herself.

She was caught and taken overseas, where she would eventually go into an animal shelter. But when she landed, she successfully managed to escape. She continued living as a stray and doing whatever it took to survive.

Petal was all alone. She had no one left that she loved. All of this took a heavy toll on her. She blamed herself for her difficult life, and her trauma. She blamed herself for losing her mother and being separated from her siblings.

One day, she was walking alone when she found a man playing a saxophone. She heard the notes and the rhythm of the player, and started to get into it. She enjoyed its smooth sound and intricate way of playing. It took no time at all for her to decide to try it out for herself. When she finally obtained one, playing it was all she ever did.

Petal gained a love for music. Music was a way for her to forget about her troubles and trauma, and live in the present moment. It was her escape. An escape from all her worries. Whenever she played, she felt alive. It was a way to express herself however she wanted. It was her life.

But sadly, no one seemed to pay attention. She was still a stray, with no one to depend on and no one in her company. One night, she was out in the cold, dampening rain, playing a sad song on her sax. No one was there to help her.

But then, a savior came. A woman only known as the Baroness saw her. Being the Good Samaritan that she was, she offered a helping hand to the feline she saw. Protected with an umbrella, she dried her off with a towel and decided to take her in.

The Baroness lived in a mansion where many other cats such as Petal lived. They too, had similar stories, so there were many opportunities for Petal to finally have a home, a family.

And so it was. Petal made herself known to the house in no time at all. She was finally happy that she was finally in a place where she could be accepted for who she was, and that there were others to talk to, others to depend on, and others to love and care for.

Petal got along especially well with the Baroness; in fact, many of her current hobbies came from her. She gained a love of knitting and arts and crafts, for example.

But perhaps the greatest thing about her new home was that she was not the only one who had a love for music. In fact, all the other cats had instruments of their own that they played! And so, Petal joined in with her self-expression through music and created beautiful, intricate melodies with her newly found family. It was a perfect life. She finally had a home.

But then, disaster struck. The Baroness knew that she couldn't live forever, and unfortunately, the time had come for her. When she died, Petal was the most devastated out of all the cats. Once again, she lost someone she loved and cared about. Once again, she blamed herself for her death.

It took a long time for her to move on. But the trauma of losing so many loved ones in her life still lingers in Petal. Nowadays, she protects all whom she loves with her entire life. She wants nothing but the best for everyone, and will go out of her way to ensure that everyone is happy. She does it not to gain attention, but she believes that it is right.

The final words of Petal's mother are a guiding force for her. It's her life motto, and her motivation to help, aid, and assist others. Petal has been through a lot in her life, but despite all of her trauma, she manages to be the sweet, kind and caring cat that she is today.