The Cat is a vintage Goodyear balloon from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade
It only appeared once in the 1931 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It's a very common misconception that the balloon is Felix the Cat. It was retired shortly after the accident and is unlikely to return today.
Incidents
When the Cat balloon took off at the end of the Parade, the balloon hit a telephone wire and accidentally caught on fire, resulting in the balloon's retirement.
Trivia
The Cat alongside the Santa Claus Balloon, The Goofy Gnome, Pikachu With Pokéball, Snoopy & Woodstock & Red Stars appeared in the video Old Friends: A Tribute to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.