The Following page contains Garfield's relationships with other characters.
Jon Arbuckle
Jon Arbuckle is Garfield's owner. He is frequently a victim to Garfield's abuse, which comes in the form of Garfield shedding everywhere, Garfield taking his food, and Garfield destroying his property, among other things. Garfield is arguably Jon's biggest source of frustration. Despite Garfield's overall superiority in the relationship and Jon's general ineptitude, Jon is sometimes able to see through Garfield's antics and outwit him.
Jon and Garfield have been shown to be able to get along, however. Although Garfield views Jon as a dork and takes advantage of him, Garfield still values and seeks Jon's companionship. In addition, Jon has grown accustomed to Garfield's behavior and can put up with it from time to time.
Mice
Contrary to typical cat behavior, Garfield does not chase nor eat mice. He does not wish to see them eaten, thinking himself above doing something so low. He comments on other cats' habits of chasing and eating mice as horrifying.
He has even befriended a few mice in his house, and often has small conversations with them. Sometimes, though, he needs to either hide the presence of mice, or pretend to hunt them to prevent Jon from kicking him out due to not doing his job.
The Mailman
The Mailman has constantly been harassed and attacked by Garfield. This has led him to try to fight back in any way possible. He has tried hiring thugs, kidnapping him, or even delivering it extra early, but none of his methods have deterred Garfield from continuing his harassment.
Family
Over the course of the strip, Gafield has shared information on members of his family:
- Uncle Arno: Uncle Arno is known for saying, "Life is like a festival; you have to get out there and enjoy it.". He was run over by a parade.
- Uncle Barney: Uncle Barney once went to the vet and came back as Garfield's Aunt Bernice. (comic June 25, 1979)
- Uncle Berle: Uncle Berle is described as crazy, and thought that he was a dog. He always chased himself up trees and was constantly exhausted as a result.
- Uncle Bernie: Uncle Bernie coined the phrases, "Never listen for a train by putting your ear on a train track.", and "Curiosity killed the cat.", in that order.
- Uncle Bob: Uncle Bob used to say, "Slow down, take it easy." before being hit by a bus.
- Great Uncle Buchanan: Great Uncle Buchanan appeared in the episode of Garfield and Friends, "Astrocat." He was the first animal to land on the moon. He looks and sounds exactly like Garfield.
- Uncle Ed: Described as crazy, Uncle Ed liked to sniff waffle irons, and his face was used for "Tic-Tac-Toe" games. He also always said, "Never belch out loud," and blew out an eyeball one day. However, this may be a different Uncle Ed.
- Aunt Edna: Aunt Edna used to say, "Let a smile be your umbrella," until her dentures were blown clean through the garage door by a bolt of lightning. She also married a hyena.
- Aunt Evelyn: Aunt Evelyn plucked all her hair from her body to stop shedding. She currently resides in L.A., with a family that thinks that she is a chihuahua. (comic October 10, 1979)
- Auntie Em: Auntie Em has only been mentioned once, after Garfield fell off a recliner and lost his memory, saying, "Auntie Em, is that you?", although this could be a side effect of the fall and/or a joke.
- Uncle Harry: Uncle Harry lived in a glass plant in Gas City, Indiana. He was a famous mouser, eventually chasing a mouse into Tank #2. He is now a paperweight in Bayonne, New Jersey. (comic May 23, 1979)
- Uncle Hubert: Uncle Hubert once caught a 30-pound canary in Chicago, and was last spotted over Dallas, Texas. For this reason, Garfield claims he does not chase birds. (comic June 23, 1979)
- Uncle Leo: Uncle Leo always had a smile until an incident with denture weevils.
- Uncle Morty: Uncle Morty was killed by his gluttony, after trying to take a papaya from a silverback gorilla.
- Uncle Nick: Uncle Nick loved to destroy things and used to eat chickens whole. There are two conflicting statements to his current status, however. In one strip, it is said that he tried to swallow an ostrich after he mistook it for a chicken, with his last words being, "That's the biggest chicken I ever saw.". In another, it is stated that he is presently a postal employee in Chicago.
- Aunt Rockelvia: Aunt Rockelvia was known for saying, "A rolling stone gathers no moss.". She lived for thirty years before she was squashed by a meteor.
- Uncle Patrick: Uncle Patrick was famous for the quote, "I regret that I have but nine lives to give to my country."
- Great Uncle Ralph: The only mention of Great Uncle Ralph claims that he was a warthog.
- Aunt Reba: Garfield reacts with her name when Jon revealed that his tennis racket was strung with catgut. (comic June 06, 1979)
- Uncle Roy: Uncle Roy was said to be weird, he underwent a species change operation that transformed him into a dog; He later chased himself to death.
- There are also two unnamed uncles and one great uncle. One uncle went to the vet once and had his brain replaced with that of a chicken. The rest of his life was spent sitting on eggs in grocery stores. Another uncle used to play with yarn, and is now a pattern in an angora sweater. The great uncle was a lion who ate a sick monkey.
- Cousin Sly: Cousin Sly is a mouser. Appeared in Garfield on the Town.
- Raoul: Raoul is Garfield's half-brother, a mouser.
- Great Grandfather Oslo: Great Grandfather Oslo was a pioneer. He moved his family thousands of miles across uncharted territory and kept saying, "I hear a can-opener.".
- Jarfield: A pile of Garfield's shedding Jon mistook for Garfield's brother for three weeks.
- Sonja is his mother.
- Garfield's Grandfather is his mother's father.