Cattakes

Low puns and big plans are catting around at the office of producer Pierre Cossette, who’s just bought film rights to Cleveland Amory’s best seller, “The Cat Who Came for Christmas.”

“We’re going to have a cat call,” quipped Cossette. “If things don’t work out, I suppose it’ll be a cat-astrophe.”

He intends to hold kitty kasting kalls in six cities before narrowing the field to 12 cat-i-dates for screen testing.

The purr-fect candidate? “A cat you fall instantly in love with.”

Animal rightist Amory tells us cattygorically that his contract includes a special claws stipulating good treatment of the star and that Amory will have access to the set.

As for the cat’s middle-aged bachelor friend (based on Amory): “It’s a demanding role,” said Cossette, who revealed that he and Amory have already promised a first look at the yet-unwritten script to an actor who apparently doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to a feline: George C. Scott.

Said Cossette: “We’ve both talked to him about doing the project. He thinks it would be an interesting challenge.”