Birthdays

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Overview

Running Gags

Gallery

Birthdays are a recurring, yearly running gag in the Garfield comic strip. For a gallery of birthdays, click here

Every year, the days leading up to June 19, the anniversary of the comic strip, Garfield is subject to jokes about his age and his impending birthday (June 19). Despite this, the fat cat does in fact like birthdays, or in his words from a 2005 strip, "I don't mind birthdays." His major problem is aging. In that same strip, he notes, "It's the aging thing that curdles my cheese."

Every year, he experiences some of the disadvantages of getting old, such as aging, cracking bones, and loss of short-term memory. Often, his friends make jokes at his expense about getting older, which Garfield dislikes. He does love getting presents, the attention, and the cake (aside from the ever increasing number of candles on top, sometimes at the detriment of the cake).

Another common gag involving Garfield's birthday is his birthday nightmares. He dreams of something from decades past, like a vinyl record in one instance, or another by-product of getting older, like thick glasses or gray hair. Often times, he tells his various nightmares to go away or to leave him alone, or he just hides under his blanket.

Not as common, but still reoccurring, are the birthday strips for Jon and Odie. Jon shares a birthday with his creator, Jim Davis, (July 28) and Odie's birthday is--just like Garfield--the anniversary of his first appearance: August 8. In recent years, Jon's birthday has been celebrated more and more often, while Odie's has been explicitly stated very few times.

Garfield's Birthday Comic Strips[]

Garfield's birth (1978, His 0th? birthday)[]

6/19/1978 Jon introduces the world to himself and Garfield for the first time, and Garfield quips his famous line, "Feed me."
6/20/1978 Jon gives Garfield a rubber mouse for his birthday. The fat cat promptly eats it and notes that it needed salt.

Garfield's 1st birthday (1979)[]

6/18/1979 Jon asks Garfield what he wants for his birthday. Garfield wants a scratching post, but Jon considers a rubber mouse. Garfield's message gets across when he claws Jon's sleeve.
6/19/1979 Jon and Odie celebrate Garfield's birthday, and Jon tells him to make a wish. Garfield blows out the candle so hard the cake falls on Odie's head, which was in fact Garfield's wish.

Garfield's 2nd birthday (1980)[]

6/16/1980 Garfield asks for another nine lives for his birthday, but Jon offers to get him a ball of yarn, or to keep him in sweaters. Garfield then threatens to claw him.
6/17/1980 Garfield prepares to be two years old, which is 14 in human terms. He imagines himself driving four months from now.
6/18/1980 Garfield is almost two, which he calls "adolescence without acne" due to his age being equivalent of 14 human years.
6/19/1980 Garfield is grouchy since it is his birthday, and is dreading a surprise party, but when Jon, Odie, and Lyman shower him with cake and attention, he quickly changes his tune.

Garfield's 3rd birthday (1981)[]

6/19/1981 Garfield hears someone, or something, coming up behind him, ready to strike. It is his friends wishing him a happy birthday and offering him cake.

Garfield's 4th birthday (1982)[]

6/14/1982 Garfield looks at the calendar and realizes his fourth birthday is coming up. He figures it is time to reflect, reminisce, and lie about his age.
6/15/1982 Garfield wishes he could do something to combat his aging, but sit-ups are too noisy.
6/16/1982 Garfield gets drowsy while watching TV. He realizes his age is showing because the late show for him is the six o'clock news.
6/18/1982 Garfield finds it hard to believe he'll be turning four. After Odie barks him into his food bowl, Garfield notes, "Time flies when you're having fun."
6/19/1982 Jon wishes Garfield a happy birthday, and the cat excitedly swallows his cake, candles and all. He, however, neglected to blow out the candles, hence the smoke billowing from his ears.

Garfield's 5th birthday (1983)[]

6/14/1983 Garfield realizes he's on the verge of turning five. After saying several goofy words, he notes he'll have to watch his language.
6/15/1983 Jon hopes that the sun will be out on Garfield's birthday. While Garfield takes it as a compliment, Jon tells him that he's going camping.
6/16/1983 Garfield looks in the mirror and notes how Mother Nature has been good to him. Father Time, however, not so much.
6/17/1983 Jon tells Garfield that the first thing to go is hearing, as Garfield walks off the table. Jon then wonders if it was eyesight that goes first.
6/18/1983 Jon gives Garfield a present in the form of a card. After learning it is just Jon's signature, Garfield stuffs the card into Jon's mouth.
6/19/1983 Jon and Odie sneak up to Garfield's bed, prepared to surprise him since it is too early for him to be up. They, however, are surprised to see Pooky in the bed and Garfield in the cake, a year older and a year sneakier.

Garfield's 6th birthday (1984)[]

6/18/1984 Garfield is shocked to learn he's turning six. He is determined to not let age get to him, but first, he takes a nap.
6/19/1984 Jon gives Garfield a rubber chicken for his birthday. At first, he is unimpressed, but the ability to whack Odie into his food bowl with it changes his tune about the gift.

Garfield's 7th birthday (1985)[]

6/19/1985 Garfield is wearing sunglasses when Jon shouts, "Surprise!" and gives him his birthday cake. Garfield saw it coming, hence the shades.

Garfield's 8th birthday (1986)[]

6/16/1986 Garfield sees the calendar and sees his eighth birthday approaching. He likens birthdays to calendars, as both remind you that your days are numbered.
6/18/1986 Jon gives Garfield bad news: the cake was crushed by the candles, but not to worry, as the smoke detector would've gone off anyway. Garfield calls him out for the age jokes.
6/19/1986 Jon and Odie wish Garfield a happy birthday and tell him that they love him. Garfield notes that the best thing about birthdays is being the center of attention.
6/20/1986 For Garfield's birthday, Jon got him a double-chocolate fudge marshmallow cream cake with sugar cookies, chocolate chip ice cream, and cherry phosphate. Garfield asks what will be for dessert.
6/21/1986 Jon reveals another birthday present for Garfield: a diet book. He is very appreciative, because now, he can use it to reach the cookie jar.

Garfield's 9th birthday (1987)[]

6/17/1987 Jon tells Garfield, who is lying in bed, that he'll be nine in a couple days. Jon says he's approaching the golden years, while Garfield calls himself five.
6/18/1987 Jon mocks Garfield for sitting in a chair and wrapping himself in a blanket. Garfield ushers him closer, and then slaps him around.
6/19/1987 Garfield is surprised by the number of candles on his cake, but decides to roll with it and have a happy birthday, "as opposed to the alternative." as he gets served a slice of cake.
6/20/1987 Garfield looks at himself in the mirror and sees that he is indeed nine, "according to the rings under [his] eyes."

Garfield's 10th birthday (1988)[]

6/13/1988 Garfield goes to bed for the night and hears a shuffling after turning the light off. He turns the light back on and sees the calendar, noting that his birthday is creeping up on him.
6/14/1988 Jon tries to cheer up a depressed Garfield about his birthday by saying that he is only as old as he feels. Garfield, at that moment, feels like he's 12 million years old.
6/15/1988 Garfield wonders what 10 is, since he's turning 10 years old. He looks around, and notes that 10 is two hands--four fingers on each of his paws--and two toes.
6/16/1988 Garfield wonders why he's afraid of turning 10, why he's afraid of admitting that he is aging, and why buzzards are circling above him.
6/17/1988 Jon offers that Garfield age gracefully after seeing him in a diaper and propeller hat, bouncing a yo-yo and sucking on a pacifier.
6/18/1988 Garfield tells his reflection that he refuses to age without a fight, but only after the presents and cake.
6/19/1988 For Garfield's 10th anniversary, Jon has stumbled upon the old family album. He looks through it and sees panels from past strips and past years, and afterward, he tells Garfield how much he has changed over the strip's first decade. Garfield replies with his original punchline, "Feed me."
6/20/1988 Garfield looks at himself in the mirror and claims that he does not look his age. He looks like he's trying to convince himself he does not look his age.
6/21/1988 Garfield decides to think younger starting today, but his bones have a different idea.

Garfield's 11th birthday (1989)[]

6/12/1989 Jon tells Garfield that growing old is sad. He never fulfilled his dream of playing the bagpipes, but Garfield is apathetic.
6/13/1989 Jon tells Garfield that as we age, our attention span gets shorter. Garfield, however, was not paying attention.
6/14/1989 Garfield walks up to his food bowl, about to turn 11. He wonders if he'll be older and wiser, but after failing to catch his food in his mouth, he concludes that he'll be just older.
6/15/1989 Garfield lies in the corner, counting his wrinkles. He can be cheered up by a great party with his best friends, but the spider crawling up to him wearing a party hat is not invited.
6/16/1989 Jon hears noise coming from the closet. Garfield emerges covered in hangers from searching for his birthday present.
6/17/1989 Garfield tells Jon, "I know I said I wanted a 'big' birthday party..." but being covered by a giant party hat is not what Garfield had in mind.
6/18/1989 Garfield, on the verge of turning 11, decides to get his old, aging bones out of bed. He raises and wiggles his toes, each one cracking as he does, bends his knees and arms, resulting in more cracking, and finally his knuckles and neck, more cracks. As he gets up, one more crack is heard, and he notes, "Another year, another crack."
6/19/1989 Garfield lets the reader be his 11th birthday cake. After singing the birthday song, he blows the reader out, resulting in darkness.

Garfield's 12th birthday (1990)[]

6/18/1990 Garfield prepares to celebrate another birthday, which he calls, "Another notch in the ol' easy chair," as he claws the chair.
6/19/1990 Garfield tiptoes toward the fridge and opens it, seeing a large cake inside. Jon and Odie wish him a happy birthday.

Garfield's 13th birthday (1991)[]

6/10/1991 Garfield sees a wrinkle in the mirror, which is hard to see considering he's covered with fur.
6/11/1991 Garfield is freaked out upon finding a wrinkle, a gray hair, and finally, a wrinkled gray hair on his person.
6/12/1991 Garfield screams and runs around the house in a panic after finding his first gray hair.
6/13/1991 Garfield, seeing another gray hair, decides to use hair dye to conceal it. After applying it to the top part of his head, he realizes he made a mistake.
6/14/1991 Jon sees his dyed cat and notes how weird he looks. Jon thinks he looks like Mickey Mouse, and Garfield frustratedly agrees.
6/15/1991 Garfield decides to rub lemons on himself, as that is supposedly good for one's skin. Upon finishing, his face is sucked back into his head, like a mouth puckering after eating something sour.
6/16/1991 Garfield takes a nap in the sun and he worries that age is catching up and his vitality is gone. This is quickly discarded when he remembers that he never was vital in the first place.
6/17/1991 Jon tells Garfield that he's getting slower as he ages. Garfield eventually denies this.
6/18/1991 Garfield measures his mouth and then asks Jon to make a cake the perfect size to fit in his mouth.
6/19/1991 Jon asks Garfield what he wants to do for birthday #13. Garfield replies, "Oh, considering my age, not much." He eats the cake whole, without the candles, and considers taking a nap.

Garfield's 14th birthday (1992)[]

6/14/1992 Garfield imagines the kind of cake he wants for his birthday: "a two-layer cake with strawberry icing and a cherry on top." Despite describing himself as a "simple cat", he imagines the cake as twice his size.
6/15/1992 Jon reminds Garfield that he's turning 14, and Garfield responds by pouring the sugar bowl on him and stuffing the spoon in his ear.
6/16/1992 Jon gives Garfield a present Jon's mom made him, a tie, followed by cuff links. Garfield notes to send her a bomb.
6/17/1992 Jon gives Garfield another birthday present: a set of golf clubs. Garfield chases Jon with one of them.
6/18/1992 Garfield reads his birthday card, which contains a splut pie within.
6/19/1992 Garfield hurries off to get ready for his cake. He returns with a large hair dryer to blow out all 14 candles.
6/20/1992 Garfield finally got a birthday present he likes: racing stripes on his bed.

Garfield's 15th birthday (1993)[]

6/15/1993 Nermal shows up to brag in front of Garfield. As he prances around, Garfield grabs him by the neck.
6/16/1993 Nermal is shocked to learn Garfield is turning 15, since he thought dirt was 12 at most. Garfield tells him not to push it.
6/17/1993 Nermal tells a grouchy Garfield that 15 is not old... "For an oak tree!" Garfield responds by stuffing him head first into a knothole.
6/18/1993 Garfield finds it hard to believe that he's turning 15. After Jon calls him, "Old man", Garfield gets him stuck in his shirt.
6/19/1993 Garfield considers what to say to commemorate his one and only 15th birthday. Something profound, something appropriate... "Feed me!" as he throws the entire cake, minus the lit candles, into his mouth.

Garfield's 16th birthday (1994)[]

6/13/1994 Garfield cannot believe he's turning 16. He wonders where the years have gone, and then realizes they went into his stomach.
6/14/1994 Jon tries to cheer up Garfield by saying aging is a state of mind. Garfield replies, "And the mind is the first thing to go."
6/15/1994 Jon hands Garfield some mail for him. Jon's mother crocheted Garfield a birthday card.
6/16/1994 Jon asks Garfield what he wants for his birthday. Garfield throws out some crazy ideas, but Jon offers a large pizza with the works, which Garfield gladly accepts.
6/17/1994 Jon tells Odie that Garfield has been upset about getting older. This gives Odie an idea. He sets a glass with dentures next to a sleeping Garfield as a prank.
6/18/1994 Garfield is panicked because he's losing his hair, a byproduct of getting older, but Jon tells him that he's simply shedding.
6/19/1994 Garfield rounds a corner and acts surprised upon entering a room, only for no one to be there. He tries it again in the bedroom, but again, no one is there. Dejected, he returns to his bed, only to be truly surprised by Jon, Odie, and Pooky hiding there, all celebrating his Sweet 16.

Garfield's 17th birthday (1995)[]

6/12/1995 Garfield looks around the corner and sees a party hat. His birthday is literally right around the corner.
6/13/1995 Garfield tells Jon that it feels great turning 17. He learning something new and forgetting two old different things.
6/14/1995 Garfield is sure that he is maturing. But after sticking his tongue out at Odie, he concludes that he is just aging.
6/15/1995 Nermal asks Garfield his age, promising not to laugh. When told, "Seventeen" by Garfield, the kitten faints.
6/16/1995 Garfield says that there are lots of benefits of aging. However, hours pass and he cannot think of any.
6/17/1995 Garfield reads a birthday card from a mouse. He thanks them.
6/18/1995 Garfield and Odie are getting old. Odie sneezes out a pair of dentures, and Garfield laughs another pair of dentures. The two of them grab each other's pairs, fit them in their mouths and promptly spit them out. Garfield then awakens, showing the whole thing was just a dream, but he checks Odie's mouth to make sure.
6/19/1995 Garfield blows hard, but does not blow out any candles on his cake. Jon and Odie grin at him and wish him a happy 17th, with Garfield insisting that his first blow was practice.

Garfield's 18th birthday (1996)[]

6/15/1996 Jon asks Garfield what's the matter, and Garfield shows him the calendar. Jon figures out that his birthday is coming, and Garfield stuffs the calendar through his ears.
6/16/1996 Jon reminisces about his 18th birthday, how he and his friends went cow tipping. Garfield looks at Odie and tips him over, and Jon asks if he was fun. Garfield is apathetic.
6/17/1996 Jon tells Garfield that he can stop, since Jon told him to take it easy 18 years ago.
6/18/1996 Jon asks Garfield what he wants for his birthday, and Garfield shows him a can opener in a catalog. Jon declines.
6/19/1996 Smoke covers Jon and Odie's faces, and Jon wants Garfield to hurry up and make a wish. Garfield ponders what wish to make for a milestone 18th birthday.

Garfield's 19th birthday (1997)[]

6/13/1997 Jon tells Garfield that he is aware of the latter's 19th birthday. Garfield blames the calendar for blabbing.
6/14/1997 Garfield tells his reflection that he's not getting older, he's getting... and then he forgets what he was talking about.
6/16/1997 Garfield tells Squeak that he's feeling old. When asked, Garfield confesses that he's turning 19, which shocks Squeak.
6/17/1997 Odie taps Garfield on the arm and then makes a face like an elderly person, gumming his mouth as if he was missing teeth and squinting his eyes as if his eyesight was fading. Odie giggles at his joke, while Garfield plots revenge.
6/18/1997 Jon tells Garfield that he has been asleep for 14 years and three months, given the cat's average of 18 hours of sleep a day. Garfield calls those years the best of his life.
6/19/1997 Garfield wonders if it is getting warmer in the room, or if it is just him. Jon and Odie present his birthday cake, number 19, and Garfield concludes that it is just him.

Garfield's 20th birthday (1998)[]

6/12/1998 A mouse walks up to Garfield, who is eating, and asks him about his impending birthday. Garfield tells it that he's turning 20, and so the mouse offers to cut up Garfield's food.
6/13/1998 Garfield does not want to talk to a mouse about turning 20. The mouse suggests to try denial, since it is cheaper than wrinkle cream.
6/14/1998 Garfield walks past Jon, Odie, and Pooky all wearing birthday hats. Frustrated, he yells that he is aware of his impending birthday to almost everything in the living room, including a mouse, a spider, a bird, the phone, a lamp, his food bowl, and his bed.
6/15/1998 The scale notices Garfield's depressed nature and asks him about it. When Garfield confesses that he's turning 20, the scale replies, "Wow. Old and fat," much to Garfield's frustration.
6/16/1998 Garfield sees Nermal walking in and tells him about his birthday. Nermal smirks and tells him, "I thought it smelled 'old' in here." and Garfield retaliates by throwing the kitten through a wall out of the house.
6/17/1998 Jon tells Garfield to calm down about getting older, but Garfield shows Jon a gray hair of his own.
6/18/1998 A spider gives Garfield a present that is wrapped in spider silk. The spider says to have wrapped it itself.
6/19/1998 Garfield decides that it is time to look back, take stock, count his blessings, and--after Jon and Odie wish him a happy 20th birthday--also chooses to start lying about his age.

Garfield's 21st birthday (1999)[]

6/14/1999 Garfield sees a spider dangling in front of a calendar and smacks it with a newspaper, splatting its body on the spot on the calendar marking his birthday.
6/15/1999 Jon asks Garfield if he wants a birthday party. Garfield declines, as that means he gets more cake.
6/16/1999 Jon tells Garfield about his 21st birthday on the farm, and how he played "Pin the tail on the donkey" with an actual donkey. He cannot recall much afterwards.
6/17/1999 A mouse tries to reassure Garfield about his 21st birthday by telling him something the mouse's uncle--who lived to 21--used to say, "Who the heck are you?!"
6/18/1999 Jon shows off Garfield's wrapped present, and that the cat will never guess what it is, unaware that he was already inside.
6/19/1999 Odie stands before Garfield wearing a shirt and holding a balloon, each with a 21 on them. Garfield tells him that he does not have to rub it in, but then Odie opens his mouth, showing a number 21 on his oversized doggy tongue.

Garfield's 22nd birthday (2000)[]

6/12/2000 Jon points out Garfield's birthday on the calendar and tells him that his birthday is coming up. Garfield replies that birthdays sneak up on someone, "Like bags on a cat's eyes!"
6/13/2000 A depressed Garfield tells Odie that he'll be turning 22. Odie is at first sad for him, but then he quietly giggles.
6/14/2000 Jon asks Garfield what he wants for his birthday, and Garfield shows him a catalog for a massive can opener.
6/15/2000 A mouse asks Garfield if he's turning 22, and Garfield confirms this. The mouse then asks if he wants to reminisce about his gallbladder.
6/16/2000 Jon tells Garfield that aging is not so bad, and then he starts telling him about his own 22nd birthday, but Jon realizes that he can not remember it, only proving Garfield's point.
6/17/2000 Jon tells the reader that he glued the top of Garfield's present shut so that he can not peek, unaware that the cat was already inside.
6/19/2000 Jon and Odie show up to tell Garfield that it is Monday. When the cat proclaims his hatred of Mondays, his friends celebrate his 22nd birthday by giving him cake.

Garfield's 23rd birthday (2001)[]

6/11/2001 Jon, seeing Garfield lying on his back, tells Garfield that he has never been more active as he prepares to turn 23. Garfield is not amused.
6/12/2001 Jon tells Garfield that birthdays are a celebration of life. Nermal shows up and adds that they can decorate Garfield's walker.
6/13/2001 Nermal asks if Garfield will play, run and laugh with him. Garfield refuses and tells him off, but when Nermal adds that Garfield will instead "waddle and wheeze," Garfield beckons him closer.
6/14/2001 Jon tells Garfield that birthdays are gifts. Garfield calls them gifts that he cannot return.
6/15/2001 A spider asks how old Garfield will be, and the cat replies, "23." The spider tells him that no spider has lived that long, and then Garfield proceeds to flatten it with a newspaper.
6/16/2001 Garfield gives Jon a list of things he does not want: raisins.
6/17/2001 Garfield tells Jon that he is only as young as he feels. He then spots a kitty treat and bends down to get it, throwing his back out in the process. He returns to Jon and says that he feels 161 years (23 x 7) old.
6/18/2001 Garfield is bummed about his 23rd birthday. He does love birthdays, but he does not like how many of them are his.
6/19/2001 For his 23rd birthday, Garfield tells his friends not to wake him and immediately goes to sleep then and there.

Garfield's 24th birthday (2002)[]

6/10/2002 Garfield notes that he'll soon be 24, which he calls, "a nice, big, fat, incredibly huge, honking number."
6/11/2002 Garfield says he's turning 24 next week and asks what he hates most about his birthday. For an answer, Nermal arrives.
6/12/2002 Nermal asks Garfield which is the first to go as one ages: memory, eyes, or back. Garfield flings the kitten through the door.
6/13/2002 A mouse has heard that Garfield's turning 24. He wonders what life was like before fax machines, which Garfield calls, "too horrific to describe."
6/14/2002 A mouse asks Garfield how he intends on celebrating his birthday, adding if he's going to wheeze a few candles out. Garfield tells the mouse to run.
6/15/2002 Garfield thinks that he'll be older and wiser. This makes him laugh, because he'll just be older.
6/16/2002 Garfield is walking down the hall when a shadow falls over him. He flees and hides around the corner, but is caught by his 24th birthday cake.
6/17/2002 Garfield tells his reflection that he's turning 24 soon, and the glare he gets from his reflection is not helping.
6/18/2002 Jon asks Garfield the secret to living to be 24. Garfield simply lies motionless on the ground, which is all Jon needs to see.
6/19/2002 A mouse runs up to Garfield inside a cupcake and bursts out of it, wishing him a happy 24th birthday. Garfield refuses to eat the cupcake.

Garfield's 25th birthday (2003)[]

6/9/2003 Garfield says that he has another birthday soon. Even though it was not invited, it is still coming.
6/10/2003 Garfield wonders what he has accomplished in his 25 years of existence. He has done nothing, and that makes him smile.
6/11/2003 Jon asks Garfield what how he has lived to be 25. Like the year prior, Garfield lies there, doing nothing.
6/12/2003 Garfield reflects. He's soon turning 25, and he thinks about what he has seen and what he has done... well, not so much what he has done.
6/13/2003 Garfield notes that a lot has happened since his birth 25 years prior, and he had nothing to do with them.
6/14/2003 Garfield wonders where the 25 years have gone. At that moment, his 1978 form walks right by him, asking for directions to the fridge.
6/15/2003 Garfield sees himself raiding the fridge, and the old form introduces himself at him from 1978. Garfield 2003 calls himself new and improved, and Garfield 1978 says that that is just an opinion, which confuses them both. They decide just to devour the contents in the fridge.
6/16/2003 Garfield asks his 1978 form how he was able to see out of his tiny eyes, and his 1978 form asks how he can stand on his two thin legs.
6/17/2003 Garfield is amazed by watching his 1978 form eat. His favorite form of entertainment is a spectator sport.
6/18/2003 Both Garfields decide to return to the kitchen, and his 1978 allows him first, saying "Age before beauty." Garfield 2003 is not amused.
6/19/2003 For his Silver Anniversary, his 25th birthday, Garfield thanks the reader, specifically that reader, for reading. He gives one big thank you from the whole gang, which includes the big three of himself, Jon, and Odie as well as their counterparts from 1978.
6/20/2003 Garfield 1978 says that things were so much better back then. Garfield 2003 retaliates by showing his counterpart 200 channels on the TV.
6/21/2003 Garfield 1978 has heard that a lot happened in the 25 years since then, like the death of disco. Garfield 2003 looks at Jon disco dancing and replies, "Not in this house."

Garfield's 26th birthday (2004)[]

6/7/2004 Garfield is determined to not get older. As he pounds the table, he hurts his paw.
6/8/2004 Garfield says that he'll be 26, and he hates aging. Aging, however, loves him.
6/9/2004 Jon asks Garfield what he wants for his birthday. Garfield wants a canary without the feathers, since it will not tickle him when he swallows.
6/11/2004 Nermal says that with age comes wisdom, and therefore Garfield must be extremely wise. Garfield wonders if the kitten will be missed.
6/12/2004 Nermal tells Garfield why he is loved and Garfield is not: because the kitten is cute and the fat cat is deteriorating. Garfield asks how high "cute" bounces.
6/13/2004 Garfield looks at the calendar and is reminded of all the things birthdays bring: "gray hair, bad eyesight, creaky joints, ear hair, aches, pains, bad teeth..." and finally, cake.
6/14/2004 Garfield refuses to let his birthday bring him down, but feels his own strip getting longer.
6/15/2004 Jon tries cheering Garfield up before his 26th birthday. He says, "Time marches on!" but Garfield wants it to return.
6/16/2004 Garfield tells his reflection that he's getting better, not older, but he does not really believe it.
6/17/2004 Garfield says that aging is a state of mind, coupled with denial.
6/18/2004 Garfield claims he is not showing his age, breaking the fourth wall in the process.
6/19/2004 Garfield denotes his 26th birthday as another birthday, another year... and then he forgets what he was talking about.

Garfield's 27th birthday (2005)[]

6/13/2005 Garfield lies on his back, saying he does not mind birthdays, but aging, he despises.
6/14/2005 Garfield is turning 27, and even after all these years, he is not wiser as he walked into a wall.
6/15/2005 Jon says that another birthday is creeping up. Garfield claims that at his age, birthdays burst in unannounced.
6/16/2005 Garfield wonders where the years have gone, and if he could go back in time, he would nap all over again.
6/17/2005 A spider asks Garfield what to get "an old geezer like you". Garfield crushes it with his mug.
6/18/2005 A mouse asks if Garfield is turning 27, and Garfield confirms this. The mouse thinks louder for Garfield to hear.
6/19/2005 Garfield gets up on his 27th birthday and thinks about what he can do to reverse aging. His idea is to walk backwards, even though he admits that it is just a theory.

Garfield's 28th birthday (2006)[]

6/13/2006 Jon asks Garfield if his old bones can move like they used to, or if they moved at all. Garfield is not amused.
6/14/2006 A candle hops up to Garfield in bed, and then lots more candle follow. The first candle asks where Garfield's cake is, and the cat notes that birthday nightmares have begun.
6/15/2006 Garfield sees another birthday nightmare. This one is his memory with packed suitcases, as it is leaving.
6/16/2006 Garfield's next birthday nightmare is a sealed envelope. Garfield is not impressed, until he learns that what is inside is a certificate for a new hip.
6/17/2006 An hourglass nightmare walks up to Garfield and tells him to wish for more sand, as the hourglass is nearly drained. Garfield expresses his hatred of birthday nightmares.
6/18/2006 Three mice present Garfield with a cake and a surprise for his early birthday. Excited, Garfield eats the cake, and the mice are shocked and petrified. Garfield finds something else in his mouth and spits a mouse out, a mouse hiding in the cake. Garfield glares at the mice, who grin nervously.
6/19/2006 For his 28th birthday, Jon and Odie decide to use one candle instead of many to represent Garfield's age. At first, Garfield is pleased, until his cake is crushed under a massive candle.

Garfield's 29th birthday (2007)[]

6/18/2007 Jon says that Garfield is the best cat on Earth. Garfield appreciates it, and then demands that not be his birthday gift.
6/19/2007 Jon, Odie, and Liz give Garfield his best birthday present yet: relief from the diet he had been on the week prior, and a huge cake with the number 29 on it.

Garfield's 30th birthday (2008)[]

6/9/2008 Jon sees Garfield glaring at the calendar, with the latter's 30th birthday circled. Jon asks him what he wants, and Garfield knows what, but they have not made what he desires: a time machine.
6/10/2008 Jon tries cheering Garfield up by saying, "age is just a number... right?" He whispers, "A big honking number" to himself, which Garfield overhears.
6/11/2008 A spider mocks Garfield, calling him "geezer" and claiming his cake will have a smoke alarm. Jon sees the laughing spider, and Garfield demands a ladder and bat.
6/12/2008 Garfield, with his birthday approaching, decides to start thinking about his future and make plans. A mouse walks up and tells him to put a new hip on layaway, something Garfield does not find amusing.
6/13/2008 Garfield hears clacking, and then sees a wind-up pair of dentures toy wearing a birthday hat walking toward him. Garfield shouts, "I am NOT OLD!" to a laughing Odie, who clearly pulled this prank on him.
6/14/2008 Jon asks Garfield what kind of cake he wants. Garfield stretches his arms out wide, extending beyond the panel. Jon replies, "Besides 'large'?" Garfield was unaware of other kinds.
6/15/2008 Garfield goes to kick Odie off the table, only to whiff and land on his face. He leaves and returns with a pair of glasses on his face, allowing him to properly see and kick Odie.
6/16/2008 Jon tells Garfield how few days there are until he turns 30. Garfield denies this.
6/17/2008 Jon says that Garfield's birthday is coming up, and Garfield runs by, excited for presents.
6/18/2008 Garfield plans to celebrate his 30th birthday appropriately. A mouse walks up, excited to play Musical Wheelchairs.
6/19/2008 Garfield lists the pros and cons of birthdays. Among the cons are loss of memory and hair, more nose and ear hair, liver spots, wrinkles, achy joints, and saggy skin. The pros are cake, which Garfield calls "No contest." He walks over to his birthday cake as Jon, Odie, and Liz celebrate the cat achieving three decades in life.

Garfield's 31st birthday (2009)[]

6/14/2009 Garfield is woken up by a gray hair, a wrinkle, and a liver spot that Garfield cannot see. A thick pair of glasses walks up, apologizing for being late.
6/15/2009 Jon tells Garfield that one's ears and nose continue growing. The two imagine themselves with big ears and noses, and decide not to get old.
6/16/2009 Garfield decides to think young, and he springs out of bed, throwing his back out in the process.
6/17/2009 Jon promises Garfield to not make any age jokes. Garfield smiles, but then Jon repeats it, louder, for Garfield to hear.
6/18/2009 Jon tells Garfield that Liz is coming over. Garfield counts on his fingers, and Jon figures out that he is counting cake slices.
6/19/2009 Jon, Odie, and Liz wish Garfield a happy birthday, his 31st, but Garfield is confused by his square cake. Jon explains that it is a lasagna-shaped cake that Liz made, and Garfield hugs her.
6/20/2009 A mouse asks Garfield what it is like being old and feeble. Garfield replies that it is better than being young and edible, scaring the mouse.

Garfield's 32nd birthday (2010)[]

6/13/2010 Jon asks Garfield what kind of cake he wants this year. Garfield goes and returns with a blueprint for a cake bigger than he is, complete with an electrical schematic.
6/14/2010 Jon tells Garfield that birthdays are more than just cake, ice cream, and presents... and then retracts that. Garfield calls him a "crazy kidder."
6/15/2010 Garfield is thankful to still have his nine lives... well eight. He lost one after (presumably) eating fuzzy bologna.
6/16/2010 A mouse tries uplifting Garfield about his impending 32nd birthday, saying that getting older is part of life, "like ear hair and wheezing!" Garfield tells it to leave.
6/17/2010 Jon asks Garfield what he wants. Garfield shows him a cake, and then lifts a magnifying glass to Jon's face, representing a big cake.
6/18/2010 Garfield walks by Jon, who is icing a cake, wearing a bowl on his head. Jon asks if he's done licking the bowl, but Garfield is not, yet.
6/19/2010 Jon and Odie present Garfield his 32nd birthday cake, telling him to make a wish. Although skeptical, Garfield does so anyway, and Liz arrives with another birthday cake for him, which apparently was Garfield's wish.

Garfield's 33rd birthday (2011)[]

6/14/2011 Jon tells Garfield that wisdom comes with age. Garfield is not impressed, preferring second dessert to wisdom.
6/15/2011 Garfield's latest birthday nightmare is a birthday present. Garfield is not scared of it, but then opens it and finds a senior citizen's discount card.
6/16/2011 Garfield hopes that he does not have a birthday nightmare. He sleeps and dreams of a pair of dentures inside a glass.
6/17/2011 Garfield is confused by his next birthday nightmare, which is a comb-over. Garfield retreats back into bed, claiming to have had worse.
6/18/2011 Garfield dreams of a universal remote control, along with the garage door opener, the latter of whom is not scary.
6/19/2011 Jon, Odie, and Liz wish Garfield a happy birthday. Jon tells Garfield to make a wish, and after some thought, Garfield does so and blows out the candles. Instantly, Garfield's cake becomes super-sized, which was his 33rd birthday wish.

Garfield's 34th birthday (2012)[]

6/11/2012 Jon stares at Garfield and asks if he's annoyed. Garfield replies that he has been annoyed for over 33 years.
6/12/2012 A spider tells Garfield that as one gets older, one gets wiser, and thus, Garfield must be a genius. Irritated, Garfield swats it.
6/13/2012 A mouse asks Garfield how old he'll be, and Garfield replies that that question is impolite. The mouse figures that he is that old.
6/14/2012 Jon tries to cheer up Garfield about his birthday by saying there will be cake. This pleases Garfield, but after being told there will be lots of candles, Garfield is brought down again.
6/15/2012 Liz tells Garfield that cats have nine lives. This pleases Garfield, who hugs her and calls her a good liar.
6/16/2012 Garfield's age nightmare is a hearing aid. Garfield is not intimidated, until it screams, startling him.
6/17/2012 A line of birthday candles arrives for Garfield's birthday. Garfield points out the cake, and the dozens of candles (Way more than the 34 required for this year) march, single file, to the cake. Garfield calls this birthday nightmare more depressing than others.
6/18/2012 Garfield's age nightmare, which resembles a brain, walks up. When asked what it is doing here, the nightmare forgot.
6/19/2012 Garfield is so full from dinner that he thinks he'll explode. He turns around and sees his 34th birthday cake, and warns Jon to stand back.

Garfield's 35th birthday (2013)[]

6/12/2013 Jon looks through his photo album at Garfield as a cute kitten. Garfield hates cute, but he decides to let it slide because it is him.
6/13/2013 Garfield's birthday nightmare, a bald spot, is given directions by Garfield to Jon.
6/14/2013 Garfield's age nightmare is a record, something he is old enough to remember. The record laughs maniacally.
6/15/2013 Garfield's birthday nightmare is a sieve, which represents his weakening memory.
6/16/2013 Garfield sees reading glasses, something he does not deem scary, even when the chain used to keep the glasses around one's neck arrives.
6/17/2013 Garfield claims to be unstoppable, except for forgetting what he was going to do.
6/18/2013 Garfield carries a gift that Jon got him. However, Jon does not know he got it for him yet.
6/19/2013 Garfield sees the birthday nightmare for his 35th birthday, a cake with only one candle, since the year before it pulled a hamstring under the weight of all 34 candles.

Garfield's 36th birthday (2014)[]

6/13/2014 Garfield's age nightmare is a menu that he cannot read because he lost his reading glasses. He is not impressed.
6/14/2014 Garfield's next age nightmare is an iPod. He is shocked at first, until the iPod explains that it is the awful music kids listen to.
6/15/2014 Jon hears Garfield struggling to pull himself out of bed. He asks the cat about it, who replies, "Blow it out of your box spring."
6/16/2014 Garfield's age nightmare is coffee, something he does not find scary, until the coffee tells him that it is decaf with nonfat milk and artificial sweetener, which makes him scream.
6/17/2014 Garfield's age nightmare is fine print. Garfield crumples it into a ball.
6/18/2014 Garfield's birthday nightmare is a jar of pickles he can no longer open, and a package of batteries he never could open.
6/19/2014 Not wanting to turn 36 years old, he decides to change the year on the calendar to make himself younger. It works, and he becomes a kitten, but Jon and Odie also reform to their infant forms, a baby and puppy, respectively.

Garfield's 37th birthday (2015)[]

6/15/2015 Garfield wonders if he'll have his birthday nightmares again, and a pair of dentures wearing a party hat walks up, answering his question for him.
6/16/2015 Garfield's next age nightmare is his lightning-quick reflexes, that are no longer as quick as they might have once been.
6/17/2015 Garfield sees his nightmare: the middle-aged gut. Garfield scared it off by showing off his large belly.
6/18/2015 Garfield's nightmare is a frown, representing his youthful optimism. Garfield notes that it is not smiling, and it is because he's not young anymore.
6/19/2015 Nermal asks Garfield how old he is. Instead of answering 37 years old, Garfield declines to answer. Nermal concludes himself how old he is.
6/20/2015 Garfield's age nightmare is an ear chart that reads, "A?"
6/21/2015 Garfield tries leaping onto the table, digging his claws into it, but slips off of it. Jon jokes about the table getting higher every year, and Garfield beckons him closer.

Garfield's 38th birthday (2016)[]

6/13/2016 Garfield cannot remember why he walked into the room, so he decides to leave and come back, but then he forgets why he walked out of the original room.
6/14/2016 Garfield prepares himself to enter the room, knowing why, but as soon as he does, he forgets. He's willing to go for three out of five.
6/15/2016 Jon sees Garfield's surprised expression and asks if he forgot why he walked into the room. Garfield denies, instead noting that he forgot why he got out of bed in the morning.
6/16/2016 Garfield cannot remember why he walked into the room. Not wanting to waste a trip, he slaps Jon in the head.
6/17/2016 Garfield tells a spider that he cannot remember why he walked into the room. The spider thinks he's old. Insulted, Garfield smacks him.
6/18/2016 Jon shows Garfield an idea for his birthday cake. Garfield desires a change, and shows Jon an idea for bigger cake.
6/19/2016 After a week of forgetting why he walked into rooms, he knows why he walked into this one because he wrote it down. He looks at it, squinting, finding it hard to read through his 38-year-old eyes.

Garfield's 39th birthday (2017)[]

6/12/2017 As Garfield looks through a photo album, a mouse asks him what he's looking at. Garfield answered, and when questioned again by the mouse, he elaborates what a photo album is.
6/13/2017 The mouse is surprised by the concept of a photo album, seeing it as a lot of work. Garfield says that people had plenty of free time, and did not need to hunt dinosaurs except for Tuesdays.
6/14/2017 Garfield shows the mouse a picture of him on his first diet. The mouse asks why his face is lumpy, and Garfield was storing cookies in his cheeks.
6/15/2017 Jon looks at Garfield's kitten picture and comments how fat we was back then. Garfield beats him up in retaliation.
6/16/2017 Garfield decides not to make a big deal of his birthday, as he claims to be older and wiser, knowing what's important to him: "A dump truck full of presents and a ginormous cake."
6/17/2017 Garfield yawns, and cricks his back in the process. As he approaches age 39, even yawning is risky for him.
6/18/2017 Garfield takes a deep breath and blows into Jon's Odie's, and Liz's faces. After finishing, he is ready for his birthday cake.
6/19/2017 Garfield celebrates his birthday, and then gets hit in the face with his 39th birthday cake because it fell on a Monday.
6/20/2017 A mouse tells Garfield about its grandmother, the oldest "person" it knows. When asked her age, the mouse replies, "Two!"

Garfield's 40th birthday (2018)[]

6/12/2018 Garfield sees a birthday cake in an easily avoidable box trap. He claims that another birthday is out to get him.
6/13/2018 Garfield claims to get smarter as he gets older. As Jon asks why they do not make cardboard cars, he concludes that others get dumber.
6/14/2018 Odie walks by Garfield and gives him a cocky smirk. Garfield is annoyed at Odie's reminder that the pup is younger than him.
6/15/2018 Jon shows Garfield his old scrapbook, and the cat's first hairball within its pages.
6/16/2018 Garfield's 40th birthday nightmare is a mirror, something the cat cannot see.
6/17/2018 Nermal sees Garfield turning 40 as old. Garfield denies, claiming to be youthful in everything he says and does. Nermal is skeptical and leaves, with Garfield commenting, "Kids these days." He quickly clasps a paw on his mouth in horror after saying this.
6/18/2018 Garfield is bummed about turning 40, but he decides to look on the bright side. In another decade, he can get the senior citizen's discount at a donut restaurant.
6/19/2018 Jon sings the happy birthday song to Garfield, but after Jon says that Garfield is 40, the cat throws his cake in Jon's face, with the candles still lit.
6/20/2018 A mouse is amazed by Garfield reaching four decades in life. It asks if he remembers disco, and Garfield confirms, since Jon keeps it alive in this house.
6/21/2018 Nermal smirks at the 40-year-old Garfield and is shocked to see how good he looks. Garfield quips, "Aging well is the best revenge."

Garfield's 41st birthday (2019)[]

6/13/2019 Garfield feels his birthday creeping up on him, but shrugs it off, unaware that his cake is following him.
6/14/2019 A candle asks Garfield how many of them he needs on his cake. After answering, "41", the candle accuses him of making them extinct.
6/15/2019 A mouse tells Garfield that turning 41 is old. Garfield denies this, but the mouse then asks if he can still drive. Garfield tells it to leave him alone.
6/16/2019 Garfield is asked to input his birth year for a website. After lots of scrolling on his phone, he tosses his phone away.
6/17/2019 Jon smiles at Garfield, reminding him of his birthday. Garfield's getting sick of the reminders.
6/18/2019 Garfield wishes that people would stop reminding him about his birthday. He glances behind him and sees Pooky in a birthday hat.
6/19/2019 Garfield walks up to Odie, who sis dressed as his 41st birthday gift. He gives the pup a swift kick off the table, claiming this to be his best birthday present ever.
6/20/2019 Nermal asks Garfield how it feels to be old. Garfield denies being old, so Nermal restates it as being in massive denial.

Garfield's 42nd birthday (2020)[]

6/15/2020 Jon asks Garfield what goes up but never comes down. Garfield answers his weight, but Jon jokes, "Your age!" Garfield is unamused.
6/16/2020 Garfield watches the "Geezer comedy channel", which plays a variety of jokes about aging.
6/17/2020 Garfield sees something coming and bolts. His cake reminds him that, like it or not, his birthday is coming.
6/18/2020 A candle gives Garfield some advice before his birthday: "Embrace the horror."
6/19/2020 Garfield considers his 42nd birthday his best ever... in part because he has forgotten the 41 previous ones.
6/20/2020 Garfield goes over to Odie and boots him off the table, "Still getting it done!" even after a long time.
6/21/2020 Garfield wakes up and painfully, loudly, pulls himself out of bed, grunting, shouting, and cricking his bones. He notes that as he gets older, he gets up louder.

Garfield's 43rd birthday (2021)[]

6/13/2021 Garfield's birthday nightmare is a password he cannot remember. However, when asked, the password cannot remember what website it belongs to.
6/14/2021 Garfield says that as one grows older, one realizes what is important. For him, what's important is not getting older.
6/15/2021 A spider asks Garfield if he knows what he wants for his birthday, and Garfield does not know. After learning that Garfield will be 43, the spider recommends handrails for his litter box.
6/16/2021 Garfield tells a mouse that he'll be 43. The mouse races off and returns wearing a stethoscope, asking to check Garfield's vitals.
6/17/2021 Jon asks Garfield what he wants for his birthday, and to think big. Garfield desires a tummy rub, which Jon delivers.
6/18/2021 Jon got Garfield a talking birthday card that says "You're old!" after being opened. Garfield stuffs it in Jon's nose.
6/19/2021 Garfield decides to hide from his 43rd birthday in his bed, thinking he'll be safe, but a party hat, cake, and balloons decorate him.

Garfield's 44th birthday (2022)[]

6/12/2022 Garfield addresses the reader, asking how much they hate it when they forget why they walked into a room. Garfield then forgets not only why he walked into a room, but when room he was walking into.
6/13/2022 Garfield stretches, his bones cracking and popping. He notes that only half of everything hurts.
6/14/2022 Garfield claims that he could sit in a chair all day, so he does not have to make the sound of getting back up.
6/15/2022 Garfield states that with age comes... and then he forgets his line, which Nermal says is, "Forgetfulness."
6/16/2022 Garfield watches a TV show about age jokes. He cannot see the humor in it.
6/17/2022 Jon asks Garfield what he wants for his birthday. Garfield takes off with Jon's donut, which Jon expected right after he asked.
6/18/2022 Garfield plans his birthday party, curious if a pinata can be filled with nacho cheese.
6/19/2022 Garfield turns on the light and sees his friends throwing a surprise birthday party for his 44th. He turns off the lights, eats everything on the table, and turns the lights back on, surprising his friends.

Garfield's 45th birthday (2023)[]

6/12/2023 Garfield says that as one gets older, one slows down. He agrees with this, noting that as he approaches 45, it takes him twice as long to do nothing than it used to.
6/13/2023 Nermal smirks and asks Garfield how it feels to be old. Garfield replies that he may be old, but he's still kicking, which is shown after he threw the kitten through the door.
6/14/2023 Garfield walks by, grunting, groaning, and his bones creaking and popping. He calls the noises he makes, "The soundtrack of aging."
6/15/2023 Garfield lies in his bed, more aware of his age after pulling a muscle during a nap.
6/16/2023 A mouse gives Garfield a birthday present. He is at first appreciative, until he suspects that it is cheese. The mouse grins and asks if he's willing to share.
6/17/2023 Garfield stares at Jon, who notices and tells him that the cat is starting to annoy him. Garfield takes offense to this, as he claims to have been doing this for 45 years.
6/18/2023 Garfield sees extra fat and asks if it is his age nightmare. The fat seems confused and explains what it is, but Garfield informs it that his birthday is coming and he gets age nightmares. Frustrated, the fat decides to reschedule, and Garfield tells it off just as his age nightmare, a pair of dentures wearing a party hat, walks up.
6/19/2023 Garfield tap dances, twirls, and dances over to Jon, who wishes him a happy birthday, his 45th, and has a present waiting for him.
6/20/2023 Garfield notes that after 45 years, he's still burping loudly (In his words, "Getting it done,").
6/21/2023 Garfield presents his 45-year-old self, and his lack of gray hair, to the readers. He asks what his secret is, and Nermal reveals it by giving Garfield his bottle of fur dye.

Garfield's 46th birthday (2024)[]

6/17/2024
6/18/2024
6/19/2024

Garfield's 47th birthday (2025)[]

Screen Shot 2025-06-19 at 13.27.20 — 47th birthday

6/15/2025
6/16/2025
6/17/2025
6/18/2025
6/19/2025

Jon's birthday comic strip[]

Jon celebrating his birthday is relatively recent. The first occurrence of this came in 2001. Ever since, it has been celebrated most years afterwards.

7/28/2001 Jon tells Garfield that he forgot his birthday. Garfield simply did not care about it.
7/28/2003 Jon is surprised that he was able to eat a whole meal without Garfield stealing it. This was the cat's birthday present to his owner.
7/28/2004 Jon demands something different for dinner, like being able to eat his food. Garfield wonders if it is his birthday.
7/28/2005 Jon says that it is his birthday. Garfield burps loudly as a birthday gift.
7/28/2006 Jon and Liz walk out of a restaurant after a wonderful time together. Jon mentions how it is his birthday, Liz gives him a kiss and asks if he got anything nice. Jon replies that he got a life. This would be the start of Jon and Liz dating.
7/28/2007 Jon is waiting on the phone, only to forget why he was on hold. Garfield refers to this as a "Senior moment".
7/27/2008 Jon tells Garfield that he hopes he's not doing anything fancy for his birthday. Garfield pauses, taps him, and blows a party favor at him. Odie and Liz join him, throwing confetti and serving Jon a cupcake, respectively.
7/28/2008 Jon sees Garfield sleeping, and is touched that he remembered Jon's birthday, proven by the cat wearing a party hat.
7/27/2009 Jon tells Garfield about his impending birthday and does not want anything. Garfield is frustrated that he ruined the surprise.
7/28/2009 Jon tells Garfield that Liz is taking him out for his birthday. Garfield grins wide, until Jon bursts his bubble when he implies Garfield is not going with him.
7/28/2012 Garfield scratches Jon's head, which he calls his birthday present.
7/27/2013 Jon yells at Garfield for putting a goldfish in his shoe. Garfield smiles and claims that it is Jon's birthday.
7/28/2016 Jon tells Garfield that he is going to throw himself a surprise party, and he hopes he does not suspect anything. Garfield is confident that he will not.
7/27/2017 Jon tells Garfield, "With age comes wisdom." Jon prefers a new TV to this, however.
7/28/2017 Garfield tells Odie that he just talked with Jon and he wants Odie to bark in Jon's face. Odie does so, and Garfield wishes his owner a happy birthday.
7/28/2019 Liz is on the phone, talking with Jon about their upcoming date. Jon tells her that he needs to fix his hair, since it will not lie down due to Garfield honking a party horn at him repeatedly. The cat grins and wishes him a happy birthday, while Jon orders him to stop.
7/28/2021 Jon looks at his photo album and sees a party photo where they had a pinata shaped like a cow's udder.
7/28/2022 Garfield gets up close and personal with Jon and wishes him a happy birthday. The cat is excited since he was told there would be cake.
7/28/2025 Jon tells Garfield that it is his birthday. Jon then asks Garfield if he got a gift for him. Garfield asks if a donut counts.

Odie's birthday comic strips[]

While Odie's birthday is the least commonly celebrated of the big three characters of himself, Garfield, and Jon, he has had some time in the spotlight when it does come.

8/8/1995 Jon tells Garfield that it is Odie's birthday, expecting him to not care. Garfield, however, does care, because that means cake.
8/8/2018 Garfield goes to kick Odie off the table, but misses since it is his birthday. His 40th, as it turns out.
8/9/2020 The day after his birthday, Odie stars exclusively in a Sunday strip. He dreams of a giant bone. He hugs, dances, and loves it. He then wakes up, and sees his bone in front of him, albeit much smaller, but that fine for him.
8/8/2021 While his birthday is not explicitly stated, Odie starred in a strip where he howled at the moon, waking Garfield up.

Birthdays in media[]

While not the most common occurrence, birthdays have been central in a few episodes of Garfield's TV shows.

Garfield and Friends[]

Happy Garfield Day[]

Garfield notes that his birthday is next week, and goes above and beyond to remind Jon of this fact. The next several days leading up to it, he uses various methods of doing this, using signs, a skywriter, a billboard, a singing telegram, and even a news anchor. Eventually, Jon cannot stand it and flees to Mexico, only to have someone tell him in Spanish that Garfield's birthday is tomorrow. Defeated, Jon relents and allows Garfield to go ham on his birthday, and afterwards, he reminds Jon that there are 365 days left until his next birthday.

The Garfield Show[]

From the Oven[]

The events of this episode take place on the evening of Odie's birthday. Jon and Garfield prepare Odie's cake, but accidentally add an overabundance of odd ingredients before popping it in the oven. While in the oven, the cake comes to life, terrorizing them and wreaking havoc in the city. Eventually, Garfield manages to destroy it by leading it up the antenna at the TV station during a lightning storm, where it gets struck by lighting and disintegrates into dozens of tiny cupcakes falling from the sky. Garfield catches one in his paw and serves it to Odie, wishing him a happy birthday in the process.