catnap

CatNap is a toy produced by Playtime Co. and a secondary antagonist of the Poppy Playtime franchise, serving as the main antagonist of Chapter 3: "Deep Sleep". In 1990, a young orphan named Theodore Grambell was chosen to become Experiment 1188, the Bigger Bodies experiment title for CatNap. He was originally responsible for looking after the notorious Home Sweet Home. Experiment 1188 contained a non-lethal but potent version of the Red Smoke in his respiratory system. During the creation of Experiment 1188, he went through two iterations before the final version was perfected. During The Hour of Joy on August 8, 1995, CatNap, along with many of the other experiments, turned on the company staff, slaughtering innumerable employees. Following the rebellion, CatNap stayed within Playcare until the eventual return of The Player in 2005. With their return, CatNap was commanded to locate and defeat The Player, recruiting a series of other monstrous experiments in Playcare. Ultimately, CatNap failed to complete his objective and during the final moments of Chapter 3, the Prototype reached towards CatNap and slaughtered him, snatching away his limp body.

CatNap's toy form is an anthropomorphic purple-furred cat with black eyes, triangular ears, a black nose and a very long tail. His paws are a darker shade of purple, similar to the insides of his ears. Just like the other Smiling Critters, CatNap is depicted with a wide, toothless smile with a small gray air tube sewn inside. His torso possesses a zipper line running down that entire segment of his body, with the zipper sporting a yellow crescent moon pendant. CatNap’s cartoon/artwork appearance is roughly the same as his toy appearance, albeit with his zipper line removed, the addition of white pupils, and the zipper pendant now attached to a black necklace. He was also supposed to emit a lavender scent from the little spray applicator in his mouth, but ended up expelling the Red Smoke instead, giving children horrendous nightmares.

The Bigger Bodies CatNap resembles a feline creature cloaked in purple fur. His eyes showcase black pupils encircled by white irises and a cat-like nose. His mouth remains open at all times, devoid of discernible teeth, forming an abyss-like void. The paws bear four digits, each armed with sharp, black claws, and extremely elongated limbs that seem loosely stitched at the joints. The disproportionately small, emaciated torso exposes the rib cage, pelvic bone and spine beneath the skin. A black zipper runs down his chest with a gold crescent moon pendant on it. In his hallucination form, CatNap takes on a more haunting presence, with a sickly gray complexion. This skeletal version of him portrays a significant increase in his skeletal features. His legs resemble mere bare bones, lacking any semblance of flesh or fur. The paws, in particular, are completely skeletal with elongated bone-like fingers. The most dramatic part of the transformation can be seen in his mouth, which has elongated to an alarming extent, surpassing the length of his torso. His torso, on the other hand, displays an unexpected resemblance to a Stegosaurus, with ridges and plates adorning his back. The crescent moon that was once a part of CatNap has also undergone a change, now becoming silver. Its moon pendant also becomes a long necklace.

According to information gathered from his information card, as well as the Cross-Department Report, CatNap was originally stated to be docile, gentle, bashful, and highly impressionable. While eerie and unnerving at first glance, CatNap was in reality a rather calming presence who took his job of being Playcare's caretaker very seriously, as he always wanted to ensure his friends were getting the proper bed rest they need. He enjoyed watching them sleep soundly and could easily take care of the wants and needs of the children. The Bigger Bodies version of CatNap is fervently devoted to the Prototype, tirelessly promoting worship and urging others to embrace the concept of "The Hour of Joy". This unwavering loyalty is epitomized in CatNap's treatment of heretics, as those who dare to oppose the Prototype, even toy mascots, are labeled as heretics and face dire consequences, exemplified specifically with DogDay, found after navigating through the Playhouse bound in a cell. From the time of his creation, CatNap firmly believes that his ultimate purpose is to serve and obey the enigmatic figure, although the true nature of this objective remains shrouded in mystery. While exploring through the Caverns, CatNap is depicted engaging in fervent prayer at a shrine devoted to the Prototype. As the chapter reaches its conclusion, the Prototype emerges and CatNap is shown kneeling, seemingly conveying his submission and loyalty to this figure of reverence. His devotion to 1006 is more likely an evolved version of the “friendship” between Theodore Grambell and the Prototype.

Given his unwavering devotion to the Prototype, CatNap exhibits zero tolerance for non-believers who work against his revered leader. Despite the extremities CatNap has taken to further the Prototype's goal, he isn't fully heartless, at least towards children, as he still looked after and cared for the surviving children of Playcare after The Hour of Joy, making sure that they are not hurt. One of his efforts of ensuring their safety is to prevent them from encountering harmful entities that will hurt them such as the unhinged Miss Delight. Catnap has shown to possess several traits notable in real cats, such as being territorial, with Ollie going as far as to claim that Playcare is his “hunting ground” and “whatever he wants it to be”. This territorial nature leads him to later threaten The Player to leave Playcare or he will come for them. CatNap has also shown to enjoy toying with his prey, as he stalks The Player throughout Playcare instead of killing them outright, with Ollie also claiming that CatNap “lives for the hunt”.

CatNap, alongside the rest of the Smiling Critters cast, was specifically designed to oversee activities at Playcare and care for the orphans there. Despite being removed from shelves because his toys were causing nightmares, he can still be found at Playcare with the rest of the critters. It is rumored that he is now considered an "exclusive" character. His main ability, which was experimented on by Doctor Harley Sawyer, is to emit a special gas known as the "Red Smoke" from its mouth, previously shown in his plush dolls when his tail is pulled, but an unknown error in the doll's production line caused it to emit a red smoke that, according to a worker's notes, did not smell like lavender as it was supposed to. This gas, showcased in the Smiling Critters Cartoon, is intended to help children fall asleep, though CatNap possesses a natural immunity. Composed of various undisclosed ingredients, including the notorious poppy flower, which was once utilized for Elliot Ludwig's experiments, CatNap himself can exhale this gas at will, due to having a gas delivery apparatus filled with Red Smoke affixed to the back of his esophagus. He also possesses a natural immunity to the gas. Upon inhalation, anyone in his vicinity will hallucinate and lose consciousness. At times, the effects of the gas can be so seamless to the point where The Player themselves cannot notice. The effects of the gas, however, can be countered by wearing a Gas Mask.

Based on the anatomical structure of a cat, CatNap stands in a quadrupedal posture and can break into deadly bursts of speed. His feline physiology further grants him increased agility and his elongated limbs allow him a significant height advantage over most prey. CatNap also has sharp metallic claws which are able to retract from his fingertips, much like the claws of an actual cat, thanks to retraction devices installed within his paws. They appear to be strong enough to carve through wood and even metal, as he uses them to carve messages into walls. When killed by the Prototype after his boss fight, blood can be seen splattering out from CatNap's wounds, heavily implying an organic nature like all of the other previously encountered toy experiments. A fully formed spine, rib cage, and pelvic bone can be seen underneath the skin of CatNap's emaciated torso. He can also contort his bones up to 1/3 of his local size, being able to pass through different places with this.