Debate prompts Garfield creator to clarify cat’s gender

Garfield’s gender has become the subject of an internet debate.

The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/2m0vwOR ) Wikipedia locked changes on the animated cat’s page after the site’s volunteer editors battled over whether the animated cat is male or not.

The controversy bubbled up two years after Garfield creator Jim Davis told viral content site Mental Floss that as a cat, Garfield is “not really male or female.”

Davis sought to clear up the controversy this week, telling the Post that “Garfield is male” and has a girlfriend named Arlene. Davis’ spokeswoman tells The Associated Press that he also told the Post he likes animals because “they’re not perceived as being any particular gender, race, age or ethnicity” and says the “humour could be enjoyed by a broader demographic.”