News
Y&R’s Stacy Haiduk on Where’s Patty’s Companion ‘Mr. Kitty?’ and the Story Behind the Daytime Emmy Cat Purse
Stacy Haiduk recently returned to her old stomping grounds at The Young and the Restless to reprise her role as Patty Williams. After having her character of Days of our Lives characters of Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks being given a rest (the series tapes ten-months in advance and she can currently be seen on the Peacock soap opera), Haiduk was available when she got the call to come back to the CBS soap and wreak havoc on the life of Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman).
Originally, Haiduk came to Y&R in 2009 as the recast and unhinged Patty disguised as Mary Jane Benson who had undergone plastic surgery financed by Victor Newman in his continued vendetta against Jack. Later, she added, Patty’s doppelgänger, Dr. Emily Peterson, to the mix. After her initial run in 2010, she returned to the soap a few other times from 2011-2012, and 2015-2016.
When Patty initially came back, her mental instability was clearly on display when she appeared in scenes talking to her stuff cat named “Mr. Kitty.” The taxidermic cat took on a life of its own with the viewers and fans of the show. This time out, so far, Patty hasn’t been talking to a stuffed cat, just going after her obsession, Jack Abbott, after he realized she was out of a mental institution and he was trapped on a boat with her. What followed was a drugged interlude which landed them between the sheets, only for Jack’s wife, Diane (Susan Walters), to walk in on the scene!
Photo: JPI
PATTY TALKS TO MR. KITTY
In a live chat along with her Y&R co-star, Peter Bergman on the Michael Fairman Channel, Haiduk weighed-in on the most whacked out storyline of her soap career, and you betcha … it was Patty and Mr. Kitty!
Haiduk acknowledged, “Patty talked to a stuffed, dead cat.’ As for where the cat is now, Stacy expressed, Mr. Kitty probably went to the taxidermy place. They do have this whole place in real life. That’s where they rented the Taxidermic cat.”
If Mr. Kitty were still around in 2026, he would probably have his own Instagram account! Haiduk concurred, “I know, I know. I put the cat on my ankle (as a tattoo). So, it’s a reminder of ‘Mr. Kitty’ or ‘Mrs. Kitty,’ or any kitty. I remember when they said, ‘You’re going to be be talking to a stuffed or a taxidermic cat. I went, ‘Are you kidding? I went home and I was like, ‘How am I going to do this?'”
Photo: JPI
WALKING THE RED CARPET WITH A CAT PURSE
Then came the infamous moment in 2009 on the red carpet at the 36th annual Daytime Emmy Award. Stacy took to the arrivals accompanied by Mr. Kitty as her ‘cat purse!’. Stacy cleared up how the whole ‘take-your-stuffed-cat’ to the Emmys played out behind the scenes.
“This is the story,” explained the actress. “Literally, Maria Bell (former EP and head writer, Y&R) asked, and I think somebody else asked, if I would bring the cat to the Daytime Emmys that year. I’m a free spirit. And I’m like, ‘Sure, why not?’ Everything’s great. Then, they called me the day before the Emmys and said, ‘You cannot lose that prop, because it’s going to cost $2500.’ I didn’t think people were going to go, ‘a cat purse!?’ It was insane. So, I literally put the cat on a chain so that I could carry it around so I didn’t have to do this the whole time ( hold it out in my hands). I made it pretty.”
She continued, “Do you know what people said? They said, ‘So, is this your cat?’ People who didn’t watch Y&R didn’t know. So, I would go, ‘No! This has been my co-star for the last 6 months!” So, it was my first time at the Emmys and I was originally thinking, “Yay! Let’s just go. This will be fun … this is cool.’
A MR. KITTY COMEBACK?
The big question, could Mr. Kitty or another Mr. Kitty 2 make a comeback? “Well, never say, never,’ Haiduk replied. However, soap fans know people and things that we think are dead and gone, somehow miraculously return, but as of now, it does not seem like that are plans for a stuffed cat to arrive on the scene for Patty’s current Y&R return.
You can check out the full conversation with Stacy and Peter Bergman where they talk Patty and Jack and what’s ahead during their visit to the Michael Fairman Channel below.
Now weigh-in: Do you remember Patty’s talks with Mr. Kitty? When Stacy took to the Daytime Emmys red carpet with the cat purse? Should Mr. Kitty or Mr. Kitty 2 make a return at some point, or stay out of the soap opera for good? Let us know via the comment section.
‘Mr Kitty’ was an insane storyline and was definitely of its time. But Stacy played it so well. Both she and Peter Bergman still have that magnetic chemistry that they established years ago, which is great to see.
General Hospital Fan Club Weekend brought out many of your favorites to the four day event; with the main cast gathering on Saturday, August 1. Fans near and far attended the weekend held this year at the Burbank Marriott Hotel. Whether it be the main cast event or the smaller more intimate events featuring two or three cast members a great time was had by all.
Some of the cast participating in the main cast event included: Cyrus Hobbi (Yuri), Gary James Fuller (James), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Viron Weaver (Wiley), Paige Herschell (Jacinda), Chris McKenna (Brennan), Josh Kelly (Cody), Kayden Brenna Tokarsi (Scout), Cassandra James (Terry), Laura Wright (Carly), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), Rick Hearst (Ric), Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco), and Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle).
In addition to, Van Hansis (Lucas), Cameron Mathison (Drew), Ryan Paevey (ex-Cassius), Easton Rocket Sweda (Leo), Maurice Benard (Sonny), Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Kate Mansi (ex-Kristina), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Cynthia Watros (Nina), Kristina Wagner (Felicia) and more.
Take a look at some of the snaps from the main event arrivals below:
Photo: HutchinsPhoroi
GH’s Rick Hearst with on-screen daughter, Kristen Vaganos, plus Nancy Lee Grahn, and Kate Mansi.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Maurice Benard on-hand to meet the fans.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto.com
Jack Brennan in the house … Chris McKenna.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Adrian Anchondo, Van Hansis and Anchondo’s boyfriend, Days of Our Lives, Colton Little.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Josh Kelly and his gal, the former Nelle Benson of Port Charles, Chloe Lanier.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Who is James’ father? Not Cassius or Spinelli, actually. Actors Gary James Fuller, Ryan Paevey and Bradford Anderson!
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
One of General Hospital’s newest cast members, Kayden Brenna Tokarski attends her first GHFCW event.
Michael Fairman TV will be adding more images to this post in the day ahead.
So, were you glad to see so many of your GH favorites attending this year’s General Hospital Fan Club Weekend? Let us know via the comment section.
General Hospital
Vincent Pastore of ‘Sopranos’ Fame and ‘General Hospital’s’ Maximus Giambetti Dies at 80
Vincent Pastore, best known for his memorable role as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s The Sopranos has passed away.
The veteran actor was found dead on August 1st in his home in the Bronx, New York. Pastore was 80-years-old. The cause of death is yet to be determined.
As well as his role on The Sopranos, many soap fans will recall he played multiple smaller roles on the beloved One Life to Live from 1995 and 2004. However, in 2008, he landed the short-term role as Maximus Giambetti on General Hospital.
PASTORE WANTED TO BE ON GENERAL HOSPITAL
Maximus was the mobster father of Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) bodyguards: Max (Derk Cheetwood) and Milo (Drew Cheetwood)
According to Soap Opera Digest, Pastore told Soaps In Depth back in 2009, after appearing in a SOAPnet promotional campaign as a celebrity fan of General Hospital: “‘I’d love to be on the show. So they called up GH’s casting director (Mark Teschner) and Bobby (Robert Guza Jr. ex-head writer, GH) and they wrote me in!”
Pastore was a huge General Hospital fan from way back, who at one point told producers that he would watch the ABC soap opera while working in bars and nightclubs in the 70s and 80s.
Throughout his decades long career, Pastore appeared in films including: Goodfellas, Carlito’s Way and Men of Respect, The Jerky Boys: The Movie and the 1996 HBO TV movie Gotti.
In TV, besides The Sopranos, Pastore’s credits included: Law & Order, The Practice, Son of the Beach, Queens Supreme, Hawaii Five-0, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, plus the miniseries The Last Don II. Most recently, Vincent was a series regular on Gravesend and guest starred on Yellowjackets.
Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee, son-in-law and granddaughter.
Share your remembrances and condolences for Vincent Pastore on his memorable role on ‘The Sopranos’ and his time on ‘General Hospital’ via the comment section below.
Donna Mills, who at 85-years-old is still turning heads, booking film and TV roles and co-hosting the We’re Knot Done Yet podcast with her Knots Landing pals, Michele Lee (ex-Karen) and Joan Van Ark (ex-Valene), is now joining the world of Only Fans.
The news came Mills herself in a statement, where she shared to Variety, “I’ve always appreciated the incredible support and encouragement I’ve received from my fans over the years. Social media has been a wonderful way to stay connected, but I’m excited to join OnlyFans because it offers the opportunity for a more personal and direct connection.”
While OnlyFans is primarily known for its steamy content, Mills is taking a different approach, explaining that she will be “sharing moments from my daily life, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engaging with fans in a more meaningful way. It’s simply another platform to spend quality time with the people who’ve supported me throughout my career while staying true to who I am.”
Photo: JPI
WHY DID DONNA MILLS JOIN OTHER CELEBRITIES ON ONLYFANS?
Andy Bachman, CEO Creators INC who presides over OnlyFans also shared in a statement, “This is not about changing who she is. It is about giving her longtime fans more access to the personality, style and behind-the-scenes moments they already love. Donna has always been fearless and ahead of her time. She told me, ‘YOLO — let’s do it,’ and that perfectly captures her attitude. She is approaching OnlyFans on her own terms and creating a space that feels authentic, personal and completely true to her.”
Mill’s move to OnlyFans comes on the heels of others in Hollywood who are pivoting to the platform not only for its revenur, but to control their own narrative of what they want put out into the world about themselves. One example is Shannon Elizabeth of American Pie and Scary Movie fame, who told Variety that since April she has earned more than $1.2 million in seven days via her OnlyFans account.
Photo: JPI
FROM THE CUL DE SAC AT SEAVIEW CIRCLE TO PORT CHARLES
While Donna Mills is best- known for her role as Abby Cunningham Ewing on Knots Landing from 1980-1989, 1993, she also won a Daytime Emmy for her role of Madeline Reeves on General Hospital. Mills played the evil mother to Nina Reeves (then Michelle Stafford) and sister to Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) from 2014-2015 and again in 2018.
The veteran actress also had a leading role in the soap opera, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, where she and GH’s late, great sister, Leslie Charleson (ex-Monica Quartermaine, GH) played sisters Laura and Iris Donnelly from 1967-1970. Mills began her soap career on The Secret Storm back in 1966.
So, what do you think of Donna Mills joining OnlyFans? Do you think the once exclusive provocative content platform, which is going more Hollywood, will ultimately be where big named celebrity post their own content? Share your thoughts via the comment section below, and in case you missed it, you can check out the Michael Fairman Channel’s most recent chat with Donna Mills from earlier this year and our livestream with Donna, Michele and Joan from 2025 below.
‘General Hospital’ Fan Club Weekend 2026 (Photos)
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Vincent Pastore of ‘Sopranos’ Fame and ‘General Hospital’s’ Maximus Giambetti Dies at 80
GENERAL HOSPITAL: If Jason Leaves the Mob, What Will He Do Next?
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GH Alum Nicholas Alexander Chavez Lands Role in Paramount’s Remake of ‘Possession’
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Reveals His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy-Nominated Reel Did Not Contain Monica’s Funeral
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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Katie is Suspicious of Dylan and Warns Will, Steffy Takes Off to Monaco
WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night One: Top 5 Takeaways
‘Knots Landing’ Favorite Donna Mills Joins ‘OnlyFans’
Y&R Alum Brenda Dickson Breaks Silence On Her Arrest, ‘Everyone in the LAPD Knows Who Jill Abbott Is’
‘The Young and the Restless’ Eric Braeden Talks Daytime Emmy Nomination, State of Nikki and Victor’s Marriage, and His Co-Stars (Exclusive)
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