<P> Tony Toponi's role is limited as a background cameo in this film because of his voice actress, Pat Musick, voiced several characters for dozen TV shows while the film was in production . Tony was dropped from the short - lived TV series due to Musick's personal reasons, as the character had yet to return until later in the infamous third installment, An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island, in 1998 . </P> <P> John Lithgow and Martin Short were considered to play Cat R. Waul and T.R. Chula, but Jon Lovitz signed to play Chula and John Cleese turned down the role as Cogsworth in Disney's Beauty and the Beast to play Cat R. Waul . </P> <P> The film was released in the United States on November 22, 1991, exactly five years and one day after the release of the original one, and the same day as Disney's Beauty and the Beast . </P> <P> Although it profited at the box office, the film grossed less than its predecessor; it opened in fourth place with $3,435,625 despite being shown on nearly 1,700 theaters and eventually made just over $22 million domestically, and $18 million overseas, for a total of $40,766,041 . By contrast, the original film made $47.4 million in the U.S. in 1986, a record at the time for a non-Disney animated one., and a further $36 million overseas, for a total of $84 million . </P>

Who does the voice of the cat in fievel goes west