Jennyanydots is a fictional character in the poem "The Old Gumbie Cat" from T. S. Eliot's collection "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", and the later musical play Cats based on it. She is an old Gumbie cat who teaches the mice music, crocheting and tatting. During the day, the family thinks she is lazy because she sits around doing nothing ("She sits, and sits, and sits, and sits. And that's what makes a Gumbie Cat...") but when they go to sleep, she goes to work, forcing the mice to learn music, crocheting, and tatting. She even thinks the cockroaches need employment to counter their destructive habits, and so she created a beetles tattoo, teaching them how to tap dance. She is also very protective of the kittens and she will not let any of them touch Grizabella when she shows up. In the end, she finally touches and accept Grizabella back into the tribe.
The song about Jennyanydots is entitled "The Old Gumbie Cat" and is sung mostly by Munkustrap. Near the end of the song, before the tap dancing, Munkustrap removes Jennyanydots's "fat suit", revealing a bright orange and yellow flapper style costume underneath.
Like Jellylorum, Jennyanydots is a motherly cat, often be seen with Bombalurina and Jellylorum, and often sings with them she has her own song about her complete with her own tap-dance. Jennyanydots also sings the song "Bustopher Jones: The Cat about Town" with Bombalurina, she appears to be attracted to Bustopher, as she swoons at the end of the song when he hugs her very tight or hands her his buttonhole.
Jennyanydots was portrayed by Myra Sands in the original West End Production in London. The role was to have been played by Judi Dench along with Grizabella, but when Dench had to withdraw, Sands as her understudy took over Jennyanydots. On Broadway she was created by Anna McNeely. Jennyanydots is portrayed by Susie McKenna in the CATS video. In the worldwide tour at moment she is played Jennifer Cohen. In the 2013 TIGS production, she is played by Nik. In the 2016 revival she is played by Eloise Kropp.
