Sylvester first appeared with Tweety Bird in the 1947 short "Tweetie Pie" in which he initiates a series of failed attempts to get the bird from his cage, each ending in a noisy crash, which brings the lady of the house to whack Sylvester with a broom and finally throw him out.

Tuxedo cats get their name from the distinct, bi-colored markings on their coats that resemble tuxedos.

Although the character was named Sylvester in later cartoons (beginning with 1948's Scaredy Cat), he was called "Thomas" in his first appearance with Tweety in Tweetie Pie (1947), most likely as a reference to a male cat being called a tom.

Sylvester is known for his trademark lisp, which often causes him to spray others with spittle while he is talking.

His famous catchphrase is "Sufferin' Succotash" which is said to be a minced oath for "Suffering Savior" (Daffy Duck also says this from time to time).

He is frequently called a rare and valuable "tweety bird" as a plot device, and was once called "the only living specimen," but the title song of The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries clearly states that Tweety is a canary.

Granny is usually depicted as Sylvester's owner (as well as the owner of Tweety Bird and Hector the Dog).

In The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries (1995-2002), Granny runs a detective agency with the assistance of Sylvester, Tweety and Hector. In the final episode of the series, Sylvester finally succeeds in eating Tweety, but it turns out to be a dream.

Sylvester appears in several shorts with his son, Sylvester Junior, who he attempts to instruct in the art of mouse-catching. These lessons invariably end in disaster for Sylvester, who keeps mistaking Hippety Hopper, a baby kangaroo, for a "giant mouse".

These television ads usually consisted of Sylvester trying to get to his cat food while avoiding Hector the Bulldog. The commercial usually ended with Sylvester calling 9 Lives a cat food "worth riskin' your life for."